Art exhibition in the Church of Santa Maria della Spina | Pisa

The church hosts temporary exhibitions of contemporary art. Open with free admission every weekend

An extraordinary example of Pisan Gothic architecture, the small church of S. Maria della Spina was built in 1230 on the banks of the Arno near the Ponte Novo, which connected Via Santa Maria and Via Sant’ Antonio, destroyed during the 15th century and never rebuilt. It was precisely the proximity to the bridge that determined the name of S. Maria de Pontenovo, later changed to S. Maria della Spina when, starting in 1333, the church guarded as a relic a thorn from the crown of Christ, now on display in the church of S. Chiara.The proximity of the river constituted a constant threat to the stability of the building, which underwent repeated restoration work. The most radical intervention remains that of 1871 when the building was completely dismantled and rebuilt at a raised level of about one metre, many sculptures were removed and replaced by copies, while the sacristy was destroyed, leaving a building altered in proportions and form.