Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, Venice
Santa Maria della Salute on the Grand Canal. Photo © Paradoxplace.com.
Santa Maria della Salute from across the Canal. Photo by Pierre Metivier.
Silhouette of La Salute at sunset. Photo by Pinano LeGrand.
The imposingly beautiful exterior. Photo by Aram Armstrong.
An altar inside Santa Maria della Salute. Photo by Simon King.
General view of the expansive interior. Photo by Simon King.
Mossy steps to the canal outside the church. Photo by Simon King.
The Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute (Basilica of St Mary of Health or Salvation), commonly known simply as The Salute, is one of the largest churches of Venice and has the status of a minor basilica.
It stands in a prominent position at the junction between the Grand Canal and the Bacino di San Marco on the lagoon.
History
In October 1630, the Senate decreed that if the city was delivered from the currently raging plague that had killed about a third of Venice's population then a new church would be built and dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
The city was so delivered, and Baldassare Longhena, then only 26 years old, was selected to design the new church. It was finally completed in 1681, the year before Longhena's death.
Every year, on 21 November, the Feast of the Presentation of the Virgin, the city's officials processed from San Marco to the Salute for a service of thanksgiving for deliverance from the plague. This involved crossing the Grand Canal on a specially constructed pontoon bridge. The Festa della Madonna della Salute is still a major event in Venice.
What to See
The Salute is a vast, octagonal building built on a platform made of 100,000 wooden piles. It is constructed of Istrian stone and marmorino (brick covered with marble dust).
The church is full of Marian symbolism - the great dome represents her crown, the cavernous interior her womb, the eight sides the eight points on her symbolic star.
The altarpiece of the Baroque high altar, designed by Longhena himself, is a Byzantine Madonna and Child of the 12th or 13th century. Tintoretto contributed Marriage at Cana in the great sacristy, which includes a self-portrait and is considered one of his best works.
The most represented artist is Titian, who painted St Mark enthroned with SS Cosmas, Damian, Sebastian and Roch, the altarpiece of the great sacristy, as well as ceiling paintings of David and Goliath, Abraham and Isaac and Cain and Abel, and eight tondi of the Doctors of the Church and the Evangelists, all in the great sacristy, and Pentecost in the nave.
Quick Facts
| Names: | Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute; The Salute; Basilica of Our Lady of Health/Salvation |
| Date: | 1681 |
| Location: | Dorsoduro (on Campo della Salute) |
| Vaporetto: | Salute |
| Phone: | 041-522-5558 |
| Hours: | Daily 9am-noon and 3-5:30pm |
| Cost: | Free admission to church; sacristy costs 1.50€ |
Location Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of Santa Maria della Salute in Venice. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Venice Map or get our free Google Earth download.
Sources
- Santa Maria della Salute - Europe for Visitors
- Venice Hotels - HotelTravel.com
