Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Venice, Italy
Santa Maria della Salute, Venice
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Photo: Lothar Weber, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- Free; small fee for the sacristy
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Opening hours
- Mornings and afternoons, closed midday
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 30 min
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Highlights
- Dome, octagonal hall, Titian, Tintoretto
- Festival
- 21 November — a pontoon bridge over the Grand Canal
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Vaporetto
- Salute (line 1), at the steps
Key facts
1631–1687built to designs by Baldassare Longhena
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English Wikipedia8 sidesthe central hall is octagonal
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English Wikipedia"Salute"means "health" — dedicated to Our Lady of Health
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English Wikipedia21 Novemberthe Festa della Salute with a bridge of boats
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English WikipediaTintorettohis Marriage at Cana hangs in the sacristy
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English WikipediaA short history
In 1630 a severe epidemic swept Venice, and the government vowed to build a church to Our Lady of Health (Madonna della Salute) if the city were spared. The young architect Baldassare Longhena won the competition, and in 1631 building began on the headland at the mouth of the Grand Canal, facing San Marco.
It took more than fifty years, until 1687; legend says around a million wooden piles were driven into the marshy ground. Longhena gave his life to it and created a masterpiece of Venetian Baroque — white, seeming to float above the water, visible from almost anywhere on the lagoon.
Architecture
The church is built on an octagonal plan: a central hall ringed by six chapels beneath a great dome on a drum, buttressed outside by huge stone volutes curled like snail shells — the building's signature. Inside it's light and sober in white and grey stone, with a marble floor of concentric circles and a high altar holding a Byzantine icon of the Virgin brought from Crete. The altar sculpture shows the Virgin driving sickness away from Venice.
Titian and Tintoretto
The sacristy holds paintings by Titian, including his early altarpiece of St Mark enthroned and ceiling canvases, and Tintoretto's large Marriage at Cana, its long table receding into the picture. The small sacristy ticket is an inexpensive way to see great Venetian art without a queue.
What to see
- The dome and volutes — best seen from the water.
- Octagonal hall — a marble floor of circles.
- High altar — the Cretan icon of the Virgin.
- Sacristy — Titian and Tintoretto's Marriage at Cana.
- Steps to the water — views of San Marco and the Grand Canal.
- Punta della Dogana — the headland behind, facing the lagoon.
Punta della Dogana
Behind the basilica, at the very tip of Dorsoduro, stands the old sea customs house, the Punta della Dogana, topped by two Atlases holding a golden ball with a figure of Fortune that turns like a weathervane. It now houses a contemporary art museum, and the point itself is one of Venice's best places to sit by the water, facing San Marco, San Giorgio and the Giudecca.
How to get there
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Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
On foot
- Peggy Guggenheim Collection is about 3 min away on foot.
- La Fenice is about 9 min away on foot.
- Caffè Florian is about 9 min away on foot.
More tips
- Vaporetto 1 to Salute, right at the basilica steps.
- From Piazza San Marco, by traghetto across the Grand Canal or 15 minutes on foot via the Accademia Bridge.
- From the Gallerie dell'Accademia, 7 minutes' walk.
- Next door: the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, 5 minutes.
Is the Salute worth it?
Yes — one of Venice's loveliest churches, free to enter and far less crowded than St Mark's. Combine it with the Accademia and the Guggenheim, all in Dorsoduro. The finest views of it are from the water on line 1 and from the Accademia Bridge at sunset. Cover shoulders and knees, and note the midday closure.
Before you go
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Venice's churches: compare and choose
Churches and basilicas in Venice rated by YesGo. Click a column header to sort.
| St Mark's Basilica | 57 | 1 h | Paid | 10 min walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria della Saluteyou are here | 51 | 30 min | Free | — |
| San Giorgio Maggiore | 43 | 1 h | Free | 14 min walk |
| Giudecca | 41 | 1 h 30 min | Free | 14 min walk |
| Scuola Grande di San Rocco | 37 | 1 h | Paid | 17 min walk |
| Torcello | 30 | 2 h | Free | 10.0 km |
Dorsoduro in half a day
The Accademia, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and the Salute at the mouth of the Grand Canal.
- Gallerie dell'Accademia2 h · Paid
- 5 min walk from the previous stopPeggy Guggenheim Collection1 h 30 min · Paid
- 4 min walk from the previous stopSanta Maria della Saluteyou are here30 min · Free
3 places · about 4 h 9 min with walks · 9 min on foot in total
Nearby and on the way
How to do it right
- Free entry.
- Sacristy for Titian.
- Best seen from the water.
- 21 November — the bridge of boats.
Questions
Is Santa Maria della Salute free?
Yes, the basilica is free; the sacristy with Titian and Tintoretto has a small fee.
Who built the Salute?
Baldassare Longhena, between 1631 and 1687.
What does "Salute" mean?
"Health" — the church is dedicated to Our Lady of Health.
How do I get to the Salute?
Vaporetto 1 to the Salute stop, or on foot via the Accademia Bridge.
What is the Festa della Salute?
On 21 November a pontoon bridge crosses the Grand Canal and Venetians walk to the basilica.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- English Wikipedia, Santa Maria della Salute
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