Santa Maria della Salute

The basilica,Santa Maria della Salute stands on the edge of the Grand Canal of Venice. rising over the lagoon, reflecting its bright surface in the water. The church was built in thanksgiving for the deliverance from the terrible pestilence of 1630 (Black Death). Hence the name Salute which means health and salvation. 

Baldassarre Longhena, a young architect who later embellished Venice with many buildings, started construction one year after the deliverance from the plague.

The exterior is designed with 8 sides, two domes and two slender bell towers. A triumphal arch marks the central entrance. The grandiose basilica contrasts with the simple, dignified interior, a vast circular space surrounded by six chapels.

Interior: The high dome over 195 feet high with its drum pierced by large windows, sheds a beautiful light on the circular aisle, decorated with an astonishing polychrome marble floor, with an intricate spiral design of thirty two roses, symbolizing the Virgin's rosary.