Santa Caterina, Gothic church in Pisa, Italy

Santa Caterina d'Alessandria is a Gothic church in Pisa with a gabled marble facade completed in 1326, featuring a double Gothic loggia and a central rose window framed by 22 busts of saints. Its single nave has exposed wooden trusses, a transept, and five terminal chapels; the bell tower, attributed to Giovanni di Simone, has four orders and a pyramidal spire.

Santa Caterina is first documented in 1211 with a hospital; the Dominican Uguccione Sardo formally founded the complex in 1220. Major rebuilding began in 1251, and the marble facade was completed by 1326, the year prior Giacomo Donati died. A fire in 1651 destroyed the Orlandi chapel and led to restorations; the convent was closed in 1748 under Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo.

The church keeps the name of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, to whom it is dedicated. Tradition holds that the 17th-century wooden pulpit is the one from which Thomas Aquinas preached. In 1320 Simone Martini painted for this church the Saint Catherine of Alexandria Polyptych, later moved to the San Matteo Museum in Pisa.

The church is open to visitors and allows you to view the Gothic arches, marble details, and bell tower from different angles. It is best to visit early in the day to see the finest architectural details in good light.

The 17th-century wooden pulpit is traditionally said to be the one from which Thomas Aquinas preached. In 1320 Simone Martini painted a Saint Catherine of Alexandria polyptych for this church; it is now kept at the San Matteo Museum in Pisa.