Salute Church

Whether you are travelling down the Grand Canal by boat or exploring Venice on foot, you will notice the imposing church of Santa Maria della Salute. If you stand in Piazza San Marco, the church can be seen across the Grand Canal.
Santa Maria della Salute is a baroque building which was completed in 1687 by Baldassarre Longhena. Its white facade and a huge cupola faces the water. As the sun goes down, the Punta della Dogana and the church of the Salute are bathed in fiery red light. Construction of the Church followed a terrible plague swept through Venice in 1630, decimating the population. Once its effects had waned, the government decided to erect this church as an offer of thanks to the Virgin Mary.
On November 21 of each year, a pontoon bridge is built in order to connect easily the San Marco district to the Salute church. The basilica’s huge main doors are opened all the day till late night in order to let Venetians in to pay their respects to the Virgin Mary and ask for a healthy year.

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