Santa Maria Della Salute: Architecture and Ceremony in Baroque Venice

Santa Maria della Salute is one of Venice’s best known monuments and the masterpiece of its architect, Baldassare Longhena. Commissioned in 1631 by the Venetian government following an epidemic of the plague, the church effectively serves as a scenographic focal point at the head of the Grand Canal. In this study of the church, Andrew Hopkins provides new documentation and autograph drawings, published here for the first time, that enable an accurate history of the building. Presenting important information on the construction of the church, he also provides an analysis of Santa Maria della Salute’s function - as the site of an annual feast day procession - and the impact of ceremonial requirements on the architectural design.

• New drawings by the architect • New documents • New interpretation of how the building was used

Introduction; 1. Planning S. Maria della Salute; 2. The building; 3. Longhena’s design process and sources; 4. Ducal ceremony and S. Maria della Salute; Conclusion, S. Maria della Salute as a landmark.