This small church, Santa Maria della Spina, is one of the most beautiful Gothic churches in Italy. It was first built in 1230, but due to a risky position, and possible floods from Arno, it was rebuilt in 1871 on a higher level.
The name "spina", which means a thorn, derives from the fact that it guarded a part of the thorn from the crown which Jesus bore during the crucifixion.
The splendid exterior of the church is composed of marble laid in polychrome bands. It is decorated with many statues, arks, rose-windows, sculptures.
The interior, on the other hand, is more simple. Since the church is small, it has a single room. The church is mostly decorated by the work of the famous Pisan artists of that time, like Andrea Pisano and his sons, Giovanni di Balduccio, Lupo di Francesco.