The story goes during an epidemic of bubonic plague that afflicted all of northern Italy between 1630 and 1631, the Republic of Venice organized a procession of prayer to the Madonna that lasted 3 days and 3 nights culminating in the doge's promise to build a votive temple of unimaginable beauty if the city had survived this indomitable plague.

After a few weeks the epidemic slowed down abruptly until it died out in November 1631, the date on which in November of the same year the first pilgrimage to the Dogana da Mar area was begun, where the Basilica of the Madonna della Salute was then built.

The basilica was completed and consecrated on November 21, 1687 after the competition to build it was won by the illustrious architect Baldassare Longhena with a project with an octagonal structure covered by a majestic dome.

https://basilicasalutevenezia.it/