Santa Maria della Salute: Façade

When the plague of 1630 subsided the Venetians decided to build this remarkable monumental church in thanksgiving to the Virgin, whose statue stands on the lantern of the dome.

The church is octagonal, centrally planned, and has a great hemispherical dome; its circular form was meant as an allusion to the Virgin's crown. A distinctive feature is the series of great Baroque scrolls on the buttresses. Longhena also designed the steps and paving outside the church.

View the section and ground plan of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice.