Santa Maria della Salute

Description:

• Having been constructed at the end of the Plague in1630, la Chiesa di Santa Maria della Salute, the Church of St. Mary of Health, was built as a sign of thanksgiving for lifting the plague off the city of Venice. A beautiful octagonal shaped interior adorned with paintings such as Tintoretto's "Le Nozze di Cana" and particularly ornate marble-work coincides harmoniously with the elegant rising exterior of this handsome baroque church designed by Baldassare Longhena. The Santa Maria della Salute participates annually in the traditional Festa del Redentore (usually held the third Saturday in July), as a bridge of boats is temporarily constructed across the canal from the Santa Maria della Salute to the Chiesa del Redentore. Located at the opening of the Grande Canal, and just across the canal from Piazza San Marco, the Santa Maria della Salute seems to stand on her own but not far down the alleyways are the Peggy Guggenheim Museum and the Galleria dell'Accademia.
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