Perched at the mouth of the Grand Canal, the great white-domed edifice has occupied a pivotal point on the Venetian skyline for more than 350 years.
Santa Maria della Salute was built in 1631 to fulfill a pledge made a year earlier by the Venetian Senate. The vow promised the building of a church in honour of the Virgin should she deliver Venice from a plague that claimed more than 45000 lives - around a third of the city's population.
The beautiful, white church stands out lightly on the Canal; visit it as it is a truly beautiful experience.