Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute

The Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute stands at the tip of the Dorsoduro district on Campo della Salute, where the Grand Canal opens into the Venetian lagoon, in Italy's Veneto region. The Republic of Venice vowed to build it as a votive offering after the plague of 1630, which killed roughly a third of the city's population. Baldassare Longhena designed the octagonal church, and construction took more than 50 years. Its large white dome and twin smaller domes form one of the best-known silhouettes on the Venetian skyline, and the building rests on a great number of wooden piles driven into the lagoon bed. The exterior is highly ornate, with scrolled buttresses and statuary, while the interior feels spare and theatrical, with the dome drawing light down onto a pale floor and the high altar. Entry to the church is free. The sacristy, reached through a side door and charged at about 4 euros, holds paintings by Titian, including a ceiling cycle, and is worth the fee for visitors interested in the art rather than only the architecture. A visit usually lasts 30 to 45 minutes. The church opens daily from 9AM to 12PM and from 3PM to 5:30PM, with a midday break, so timing matters. Crowds are lighter than around San Marco, and early morning brings quiet and good light from the canal. The best views of the building are from the water or from the steps of the Piazzetta looking back across the canal. Visitors can walk here along the Zattere promenade or take vaporetto Line 1 to the Salute stop, and there is a traghetto crossing from San Marco. Each November the Festa della Salute is held here, when a temporary pontoon bridge crosses the Grand Canal for a pilgrimage. The forecourt steps are popular for photographs, especially in late afternoon, when low sun lights the facade.