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Home > Italy Travel Guide > Pisa Travel Guide > Chiesa di Santa Maria della Spina

Chiesa di Santa Maria della Spina Travel Guide

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Introduction
History
Location

ATTRACTIONS

Whats to See
Exterior
Interior

INFORMATION

Useful information
Links

Introduction

Santa Maria della Spina is a small Gothic church on the left bank of the Arno to the west of the Palazzo Gambacorti, is perhaps the best known of the smaller churches of Pisa. In its original position close to the river it suffered severe damage to its foundations so in 1871 the church was dismantled and rebuilt on a higher level.

History

Originally a small oratory, constituted by a loggia, it was rebuilt in the Gothic period as a richly decorated church. It was built in 1230 on the banks of the river Arno next to an important bridge, called Ponte Novo, that used to join the streets Santa Maria and Sant'Antonio. The bridge was destroyed during the 15th century and was never rebuilt. Being the church close to the bridge, it was given the name of Santa Maria de Pontenovo, changed in 1333 to Santa Maria della Spina. The new name of Spina derives from the presence of a thorn allegedly part of the crown dressed by Christ on the Cross, brought here in 1333.

In 1322, due to the interest of the Commune of Pisa, the works to enlarge it began; they were finished about fifty years later, under the supervision of the Pisan architect and sculptor Lupo di Francesco. The vicinity to the river has always determined a constant threat to the stability of the church. In fact, as attested by numerous documents, from the 15th century the church underwent many restorations aimed at repairing the damages from the subsiding of the ground and at consolidating the architectural structures. However, the most radical intervention was carried out in 1871 when the church was dismantled and rebuilt on a higher level due to dangerous inflitration of water from the Arno river. On this occasion, many statues were removed and replaced by copies, while the sacristy was lost. The result was that the church was altered in its proportions and shape.

Location

On left bank of the Arno to the west of the Palazzo Gambacorti.
Address: Lungarno Gambacorti I-56100 Pisa, Italy

Whats to See

The church is covered in dual-colored marble rows and decorated with elegant spires, tympanums and tabernacles. The rich sculpture decoration was carried out by important fourteenth-century Pisan sculptors. Inside, one finds the statue of Andrea Pisano.

Exterior

The church is on a rectangular plant, with an external facing wholly composed of marble, laid in polychrome bands. The exterior appearance is marked by cusps, tympani and tabernacles, together with a complicated sculpture decoration with tarsiae, rose-windows and numerous statues from the main Pisane artists of the 14th century. These include Lupo di Francesco, Andrea Pisano with his sons Nino and Tommaso, and Giovanni di Balduccio.

The facade has two gates with lintelled archs. Among these lies the tabernacle with the statues of Madonna with the Child and two Angels, attributed to Giovanni Pisano. Two niches open in the upper part of the facade: these houses the statue of Christ among the two Annunciation ones, and two other angels.

The right side has also a rich decoration with cusps and thirteen statues of the Apostles and Christ, from Lupo's workshop. The small sculptures portraying Saints and Angels over the tympani are from the Nino Pisano's workshop, while the niche in the right pillar has a Madonna with Child by Giovanni di Balduccio.

The back side has three round archs with simple windows. The tympani are decorated with the Evangelists' symbols, intervalled by niches with the statues of the Saints Peter, Paulus and John the Baptist. The high pyramid-like spires end with the statues of the Madonna with Child between two angels, by Nino Pisano. On the contrary, the side facing the river has no decorations.

Interior

The interior is the result of the many misfortunes that the church went through and that caused the loss of most of the furnishings, including statues and paintings; the interior appears quite simple which contrasts with the rich decoration on the exterior. It has a single room, with a ceiling painted during the 19th century reconstruction. In the presbytery's centre is one of the highest masterpieces of Gothic sculpture, the Madonna of the Rose sculptured by Andrea and Nino Pisano between 1345 and 1348, and still preserves traces of the original colours and gilding. Until the 19th century, the statue was situated inside a fine 16th-century marble altar between the statues of St. Peter and St. John the Baptist. On the left wall is the tabernacle in which once was the crown's relic, by Stagio Stagi (1534). Another statue by the Pisanos, the Madonna del Latte, was once here, but has been moved to the city's St. Matthew Museum.

Useful information

Open: March to October: 10 am until 1:30pm and 2:30 pm until 6 pm. November to February: 10 am until 2 pm.
Closed: Mondays
Closed from December 24th to January 2nd, May 1st and August 15th.
Disabled: Full facilities for persons with disabilities.

Links

Website

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