Pisa | Church of St. Caterina of Alexandria

The beautiful church of St Catherine of Alexandria is located in Pisa and is an example of the Pisan-Romanesque style.

Construction and structure

This beautiful church, built at the beginning of the 13th century, has a gabled structure with a single nave, particularly suitable for preaching and music. It is no coincidence that musical concerts or choral concerts are held here thanks to its perfect acoustics.

The façade in Pisan Romanesque style is decorated with white marbles of Monte Pisano, on white-grey bands, which take up the decorative theme of the Cathedral.

The interior, rebuilt in 1650 after a fire, preserves many interesting works including the tomb of Archbishop Saltarelli (by Andrea and Nino Pisano), the large altarpiece with the Triumph of St. Thomas and the wooden chair of the seventeenth century containing the one on which he would have preached St. Thomas Aquinas.

Saint Catherine of Alexandria

It is dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria, a beautiful young woman from a noble family, who converted to Christianity and was therefore condemned by the Emperor Maxentius to the torture of the cogwheel. The wheel broke and the emperor ordered her to be beheaded. According to legend, angels transported her body to the monastery of Mount Sinai and from her tomb began to ooze milk and oil that cured many ills.