Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute
The Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, known just as Salute, is one of the most noteworthy landmarks of Venice. It is an important Catholic temple, a beautiful architectural monument and a loved tourist attraction. The interesting facts concerning this imposing church start with the very act of its establishment. The reason for its creation is to be found in the cruel plague that killed almost a third of the local population within just two years between 1629 and 1630. The Senate tried to cope with the disaster by building temples devoted to different saints. As nothing helped, they issued a decree to build a new imposing church that should bear the name of Virgin Mary.
The appropriate spot near
Piazza San Marco was chosen and in 1631 the construction works began, following the plans of the architect Baldassare Longhena who
had won a contest that had been launched especially for this purpose. The work took
exactly 50 years. In 1681 the
Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute was officially inaugurated. The church is a Baroque octagona-shaped building with a huge dome that has become emblematic of the city. The interior features paintings and sculptures by Longhena, Josse de Corte and Tintoretto, most of which depict biblical scenes.
Name: Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute
Address: Campo della Salute 1
Phone: +39 41 274 39 11
Email: salute@seminariovenezia.it
Website: www.seminariovenezia.it
see map
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