The Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute is one of the most famous churches in Venice, which is partly owing to its location on the bank of the Grand Canal. The biggest attraction inside the church is the sacristy, which contains twelve paintings by Titian. Venetians call the church, which is part of the Dorsoduro district, simply La Salute (“The Health”).
A brief history of the basilica of Santa Maria della Salute in Venice
The Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute was constructed in the 17th century, after an epidemic of the plague, which had killed one third of the inhabitants of the city, had been conquered.
In 1630, the Senate had promised the Virgin Mary to construct a church in het honor, if she would be so kind as to put an end to the epidemic. She did, and the church was constructed at the very tip of the Dogana. The architect was Baldassarre Longhena, who died in 1682, before the church was finished. Despite his young age (he was only 26 at the time), he had been elected over a host of other architects. Construction was finished in 1687.
What to see
Exterior
The ground plan of the church, which is supported by 100,000 wooden poles, is octagonal. The main materials are a lime stone variety from Istria and a kind of brick called marmorino. The church has two domes.
The statue of Mary topping the church is dressed in the uniform of a Venetian admiral.
Interior
The Baroque main altar was also designed by Longhena. The sculpture group at the altar is titles “The Queen of Heaven Expelling the Plague” and was sculpted in 1670 by the Flemish artist Josse de Corte. It depicts the Plague as a toothless old woman, chased off by an angel. The “Madonna and Child” at the altar is of Byzantine origin and dates back to the 12th or 13th century. It was brought to Venice in 1670, by Francesco Morosino.
Sacristy
Tintoretto painted the “Wedding at Cana” (1561) in the sacristy. The master was humble enough to include himself in the painting, showing Paolo Veronese how to do the job.
The sacristy also contains 12 works by Titian, including a “David and Goliath”, a “Cain and Abel”, a self-portait as “Saint Matthew” and his oldest known work, “Saint Mark on the Throne” (1510).
Special events
Every year on November 21st, the “Festival of the Presentation of the Virgin” (also called Festa della Salute) is held. The main event of the festival is a procession from the Basilica di San Marco to the Santa Maria della Salute. In order to be able to do this, a temporary pontoon bridge is built across the canal.
What to know before your visit
Address and public transportation
The address of the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute is Fondamenta Salute – 30121 Venice (tel. +39 0412743928). Vaporetto: Salute (line 1).
Opening hours
The church is opened from Monday till Saturday from 09:00 tot 17:30 uur, and Sundays from 09:00 tot 12:00 and from 15:00 till 17:30.
The sacristy is opened from Monday till Saturday from 10:00 till 12:00 and from 15:00 till17:00. On Sundays the sacristy is only open in the afternoon (15:00 till 17:00).
Admission
The basilica is free. Entrance to the sacristy costs 4 Euros (2 Euros for students and 65+, an free for children below the age of 10).