Today’s tourist with the best way to visit Santa Maria della Salute, a soaring baroque structure unlike any other. She sits at the entrance to Venice, at the terminus of the Grand Canal, like some great lady on the threshold of her salon. In 1630, a plague had struck Venice taking over a quarter of its citizens to early graves. In the midst of this horror, the Venetian Senate made a pact with God, “Stop the plague and we will build a church to honor the Virgin.” The plague came to a sudden end, and the Senate set about honoring its promise by awarding a construction contract to an unknown 26-year-old architect, Baldassare longhena. Longhena’s stunning interior contains many glorious works of art, including two of Titian's greatest paintings, "the Pentecost” and “St. Mark Enthroned with Other Saints.” The Sacristy houses an additional wealth of Titian paintings as well as the work of other artists, including one of Tintoretto’s most famous paintings, the “Wedding at Cana.” This carefully researched tour guides you through the basilica pointing out and describing the most significant artworks and other historic treasures.
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