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The Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute (Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute) is a church in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Venice, Italy. It’s located at the eastern tip of the district (sestiere) of Dorsoduro, with the Grand Canal in front and the Giudecca Canal behind it.
History
The church was built between 1631 and 1681 as a votive for delivering Venice from a terrible plague, which killed about 46,000 people in the city and over 94,000 around the lagoon. Architect Baldassare Longhena was chosen to design the church, which has an uncharacteristic octagonal design.
The Church
Santa Maria della Salute has two domes and is decorated with statues of saints on the façade. It has two bell towers in the back. There’s no admission to enter but a small donation is encouraged.
We didn’t spend as much time in the church as I would have liked, but we were impressed with what we saw. There are three altars and eight chapels around a central nave as well as several paintings by Titian in the sacristy.
The high altar contains a 12th century Byzantine icon of Panagia Mesopantitissa (Madonna the Mediator). It was brought to Venice from Heraklion, Crete, by future Doge Francesco Morosini in 1669 after the city fell to the Ottomans. The statues surrounding the icon were carved by Flemish sculptor Josse de Corte in 1670, depicting The Queen of Heaven expelling the Plague.
The floor of the central nave had a representation of the icon.
Nearby
Outside of the church is some nice scenery along the Grand Canal. You can also see the rear of the Church of San Gregorio (Chiesa di San Gregorio), built in the mid-15th century and deconsecrated in 1807. It served some time as a mint laboratory and later an art restoration center but is now closed and unused.
