Another chilly day greeted us as we stepped out of our lodgings. A ride along the Grand Canal on a vaporetto is a delight even though we are chilled to the bone. Bellissimi palazzi, all types of boats and of course the ubiquitous gondole.
In 1630 Venice experienced an unusually devastating outbreak of the plague.As a votive offering for the city’s deliverance from the pestilence, the Republic of venice vowed to build and dedicate a church to Our Lady of Health (or of deliverance). In 1631 the Baroque architect Baldassarre Longhena began to build the magnificent Basilica Santa Maria della Salute (The Basilica of St Mary of Health), one of the most beautiful churches in Venice and a symbol of theGrand Canal. It stands on a narrow finger of land between the Grand Canal and the Bacino di San Marco, making the church visible when entering the Piazza San Marco from the water. Most of the objects of art housed in the church bear references to the Black Death.
Grand palazzi line the Grand Canal…more than 170 buildings, most of which date back from the 13th to the 18th century. I think a return visit is in order, when the weather is kinder so that we can appreciate the magnificence.
Ciao for now, Isabella