Santa Maria della Spina Church, Pisa

This tiny church boasts one of the most outstanding Gothic edifices in all of Europe. It's a simple rectangular building, but the exterior is built entirely of marble and features ornate cusps, tympani, and tabernacles. There are detailed sculptures all over the walls, plus rose windows and many 14th century statues.

The church was built in 1230 and then enlarged in 1325. It was originally known as Santa Maria Di Pontenovo in honor of a bridge that existed at the time. Unfortunately, that bridge collapsed in the 1400s and was never rebuilt.

At one time, the church was home to a thorn--allegedly part of the Crown of Thorns placed on Christ's head during his Crucifixion. The relic is now on display at Santa Chiara Church, but this church has kept the name "della spina" or "of the thorn."

The church was renovated in 1871 to raise it above the flood level of the Arno River. The church was altered to the extent that locals and visitors like Englishman John Ruskin were outraged.

The interior of the church is rather spartan compared to the outside. This is because the ceiling was painted during the 19th-century renovations. A masterpiece of Gothic sculpture stands in the center--Madonna of the Rose by Andrea and Nino Pisano.