Venice -The Festival of Health
In 1630 , after more than half a century after the terrible plague of 1575-77 ( bubonic plague ), the disease strikes again on Venice threatening to destroy the lagoon city. The contagion spread to Venice following the arrival of ambassadors of Mantua,city already affected by the epidemiy ( which hit the whole of northern Italy between 1630 and 1631 ) .
In a short span of time, despite the intervents of the “Elders of Health” (doctors), the population was decimated .( 80,000 deaths per 150,000 residents).The disease does not spare the aristocracy or the clergy : even the Doge and most of his family.
Famous is that the notice ordering , anyone would feel the symptoms of the disease to drink at least half a liter of liquid even then someone had guessed the dynamics of the anticorps.
Once again the government and people of Venice are turning to religion.It organizes a procession involving the 10,000 survivors ,They walked incessantly around St. Mark’s Square for three days and three nights with torches and statues .The Doge ( Nicolò Contarini ) and the Patriarch of Venice ( Giovanni Tiepolo ) , make a solemn vow to erect a church called “the Salute”church, asking the interpose of the Virgin Mary to end the plague and i if the city escaped from the total ruin ,a temple will be built “in proportion and beauty never seen in all the city”, thanksgiving to Our Lady .Few weeks after the procession ,
the epidemic suffered a sharp slowdown and then slowly regress until finally extinguished in November 1631.
The most appropriate place for the building ,is the “Punta della Dogana da Mar”, who was the subject of recent demolitions.The design was entrusted to the young architect Longhena and to his new Baroque style. Its octagonal design ” a Crown shape” adapted to the expectation of the Serenissima : a masterpiece of art and a very popular place of pilgrimage, a church that exalted the Virgin and at the same time the Republic .
The basilica was consecrated on the day of November 21, 1687 , which since become for 
the Venetians “the day of Our Lady of Health “.Each year, the ecclesial and civil community of Venice renews its “vote” of gratitude Is a pilgrimage of thanksgiving in the church in perpetual memory of the Virgin Mary and the innocent dead.Throughout the day , in the church , kept open without interruption, are celebrated continuously masses and rosaries,with a continuous influx of the faithful.Particularly venerated in the” Basilica della Salute”, is the Byzantine icon of the Madonna said Mesopanditissa ( Mediatrix of peace ) .The votive bridge connecting the two banks of the Grand Canal and approaching the shrine to the center of the city to facilitate the pilgrimage.On that day the traffic of pilgrims is so intense ,that from the early hours of the morning, is required the use of one-way pedestrian from Accademia bridge.
The castradina, very tasty plate of food made from mutton, that is typical food for Venice’s people on the day of the health (Salute).
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