{"id":3764,"date":"2020-01-24T08:54:52","date_gmt":"2020-01-24T08:54:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ulysses.travel\/santa-maria-della-salute-venice\/"},"modified":"2024-07-22T14:41:53","modified_gmt":"2024-07-22T14:41:53","slug":"santa-maria-della-salute-venice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ulysses.travel\/en\/santa-maria-della-salute-venice\/","title":{"rendered":"Santa Maria della Salute (The Salute) in Venice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Santa Maria della Salute, or simply The Salute, is one of Venice’s most iconic religious landmarks. Its monumental white silhouette perched on the edge of the Grand Canal is truly unmissable!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow Captain Ulysses on a tour of this must-see landmark in the heart of Venice. Let\u2019s go!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udca1 Insider Tips<\/strong> \ud83d\udca1 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83c\udf1f Top tip:<\/strong> Free guided city tour<\/a> (in English)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udca4 Accommodations:<\/strong> all our tips & recommendations <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udfdb Plan Your Trip:<\/strong> the complete guide to Venice<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udc76 Visiting Venice with Kids:<\/strong> all our best tips<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

A Brief History of Santa Maria della Salute<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the summer of 1630, a plague epidemic struck Venice, wiping out nearly a third of the population in two years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Desperate for relief, the Senate sought the protection of\nthe Virgin Mary and vowed to build\na grand basilica in her honor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project, entrusted to architect Baldassare Longhena, began\nin 1631 and took 56 years to complete. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Santa Maria della Salute was consecrated on November 9, 1687, five years after the death of its architect, Baldassare Longhena, who devoted more than 50 years of his life to it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visiting Santa Maria della Salute<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Exterior of the Basilica<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At first glance, the basilica impresses with\nits monumental size. The Salute rests on more pilings\nthan any other Venetian monument: 1,156,627 in total! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its imposing facade, crowned by two domes of different sizes, blends classical and baroque styles. The uniqueness of the basilica is also highlighted by its orecchioni<\/em>, the spiral volutes that transition between the facade and the domes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The octagonal design of The Salute is an\nexplicit reference to the Virgin’s crown. The exterior is adorned with\n125 statues, including a statue of the Virgin atop the main dome, a\nstatue of Saint Mark on the smaller dome, statues of the four evangelists, and\ncountless statues of angels and various figures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Santa<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Interior of the Basilica<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The interior of Santa Maria della Salute is centered\naround a vast open space surrounded by six chapels, one of which displays\na beautiful painting by Titian. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The marble floor, with its intricate geometric\npatterns, is a work of art in itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t miss the high altar, adorned with a Byzantine icon\nof the Virgin and topped by a sculpture depicting the Virgin and Child\nsaving Venice from the plague. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sacristy (entrance fee required) houses a\ncollection of masterpieces, including Tintoretto\u2019s famous Wedding\n at Cana<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Interior<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Numbers & Symbolism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Legend has it that Santa Maria della Salute was built based\non the numbers 8, symbolizing hope and\nsalvation, and 11, symbolizing faith. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These numbers appear repeatedly\nin the basilica’s architecture:\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n