Santa Maria della Salute

Santa Maria della Salute Review

The view of La Salute (as this church is commonly called) from the Riva degli Schiavoni at sunset or from the Accademia Bridge by moonlight is unforgettable. Baldassare Longhena was 32 years old when he won a competition in 1631 to design a shrine honoring the Virgin Mary for saving Venice from a plague that in the space of two years (1629-30) killed 47,000 residents, or one-third the population of the city. Outside, this ornate white Istrian stone octagon is topped by a colossal cupola with snail-like ornamental buttresses and a baroque facade; inside are a polychrome marble floor and six chapels. The Byzantine icon above the main altar has been venerated as the Madonna della Salute (Madonna of Health) since 1670, when Francesco Morosini brought it here from Crete. Above it is a sculpture showing Venice on her knees to the Madonna as she drives the wretched plague from the city.

Do not leave the church without a visit to the Sacrestia Maggiore, which contains a dozen works by Titian, including his San Marco Enthroned with Saints altarpiece. You'll also see Tintoretto's The Wedding at Cana. For the Festa della Salute, held November 21, a votive bridge is constructed across the Grand Canal, and Venetians make pilgrimages here to light candles in prayer for another year's health.