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The building of St Giles House at Wimborne St Giles, Dorset, as it presently exists was begun by Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper, later 1st earl of Shaftesbury (1621-1683), in 1651. The south front, seen here, was originally of five bays (visible to the right). It was extended in the 1670s (seen to the left) to two-thirds the height and then raised again in the eighteenth century. The 1650s section was built of brick with brick quoins that were given lime render and colour wash to look like stone (see far right). The division between these two phases of construction on the south front is marked by the rusticated brick quoin that is exposed without lime render (at centre here). The quoins are flush pointed with black lining below. The windows were originally mullion and transom and later changed to sashes. The stone window surrounds were inset, with stonework smashed into the flat brick arches. There are platbands at first-floor and parapet levels. In 1740-44 the building was enlarged and altered for Anthony Ashley Cooper, 4th earl of Shaftesbury (1711-1771) by Henry Flitcroft. A significant change was the addition of a crenellated parapet in brick on the north front. Later, the exterior was given Roman cement render by P.C. Hardwick in 1854, now removed, and leaving visible hacking. The dormers and chimneystacks were added in the nineteenth century.
This is the entrance to the grounds of this Catholic church in Badoc. A private Catholic school, St. Elizabeth School, is next to this church on the same grounds. This photo can be licensed, for details see www.cgstock.com/cgi-bin/quote.cgi?image=6700.
Walking up to the Palace of Versailles
The Chapelle Royale to the right.
The Chapelle Royale (Royal Chapel) was the fifth and final chapel built for Louis XIV, and dedicated to St Louis, patron saint of the Bourbons.
The chapel was built during the fourth (and final) phase of construction.
Designed by architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart (1646-1708), construction on the chapel began in 1689, but work was delayed due to war between France and the Grand Alliance (a coalition between the Anglo-Dutch William III, Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I, Charles II of Spain, Victor Amadeus II of Savoy, and other princes); work resumed after France's victory, running from 1699–1710.
The ceiling of the nave is decorated with 'God the Father in His Glory Bringing to the World the Promise of Redemption' by Antoine Coypel; the half-dome of the apse with 'The Resurrection of Christ' by Charles de la Fosse; and above the royal tribune is 'The Descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Virgin and the Apostles' by Jean Jouvenet.
The Palace of Versailles was created at the instruction of Louis XIV, and was the centre of French government and power from 1682, when Louis XIV moved from Paris, until Louis XVI and the royal family was forced to return to the capital in 1789.
The chateau is built around a hunting lodge established by by Louis XIII, and was created in four phases: 1664–68, 1669–72, 1678–84 and 1699–1710, by the architects Le Vau, Le Nôtre, and Le Brun.
Felbrigg Hall was built for Thomas Windham between 1621 and 1624. Many of the same craftsmen worked there as at Blickling in the 1620s. The west wing was designed in 1674 by William Samwell († 1676), a gentleman architect, for William Windham I (1647-89), but it may not have been constructed until the 1680s, after Samwell's death, because one of the rainwater heads is dated 1686. This wing is built of brick, with brick quoins, has eight bays and is two storeys high, with a hipped roof and pedimented dormers, the last-mentioned being added in 1751. The heavily moulded timber eaves cornice has modillions, as seen here. Each window also has a moulded brick surround.
The pilgrimage church of Wies (German: Wieskirche) is an oval rococo church, designed in the late 1740s by Dominikus Zimmermann, who spent the last eleven years of his life in a nearby dwelling. It is located in the foothills of the Alps, the Steingaden municipality of the Weilheim-Schongau district, Bavaria, Germany.
In 1738 tears were seen on a dilapidated wooden figure of the Scourged Saviour. This miracle resulted in a pilgrimage rush to see the sculpture. In 1740 a small chapel was built to house the statue, but it was soon realized that the building would be too small for the number of pilgrims it attracted, and thus Steingaden Abbey decided to commission a separate shrine. Many people who have prayed in front of the statue of Jesus on the altar have claimed that people have been miraculously cured of their diseases, which has made this church even more of a pilgrimage site.
In contrast to the riotous interior, the exterior of the church does not display the ostentatious theatricality and striving for effect typical of that time.
In contrast to the riotous interior, the exterior of the church does not display the ostentatious theatricality and striving for effect typical of that time.
Construction took place between 1745 and 1754, and the interior was decorated in stuccowork in the tradition of the Wessobrunner School. "Everything was done throughout the church to make the supernatural visible. Sculpture and murals combined to unleash the divine in visible form"[1]. The church, commonly regarded as Zimmermann's final masterpiece, was secularized in the beginning of the 19th century. Subsequently, protests of local farmers saved this jewel of rococo architecture and design from being sold and demolished. The Wieskirche was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983 and underwent massive restoration in 1985-91.
Lima Cathedral is an immense baroque cathedral originally built in 1564. It was designed by Francisco Pizarro. To the left, out of the picture, is the Archbishop's Palace. The cathedral has been rebuilt many times over the centuries.
Looking down the Grand Canal towards Il Salute from the waterfront close to the Accademia Bridge.
The Grand Canal (Il Canal Grande or the Canalazzo) is the main waterway in Venice, dividing the city in two and crossed by only four bridges in its entire near-four kilometre length.
It is much wider than any of the other canals in Venice – between 30m and 70m across – but less than 5m deep and is lined with a number of palaces and churches.
The number one and number two vaporetto services take both locals and (mainly) tourists along its length, allowing them the chance to admire the sights from the water.
The white stone edifice of Santa Maria della Salute – the Salute – was built in the 17th century by a Venetian government who prayed for an end to plague and had their prayers answered.
The Senate had decreed a church to honour the Virgin Mary would be built and they honoured their promise, commissioning Baldassare Longhena to construct the present building.
It took 50 years to erect and is a masterpiece of baroque architecture, owing much to Andrea Palladio. The octagonal structure, with a great dome rising from the base, contains several altars and works of art by painters such as Titian.
Every year on November 21 – the feast of the Presentation of the Virgin – the church is the home of great celebrations and prayers for health and wellness.
32, Elder Street, London, was built under a lease from Sir Isaac Tillard to William Goswell, carpenter, dated May 1725, although the site had already been leased to Goswell as early as November 1724. In July he assigned the lease and premises under a mortgage to Oakey, Fuller and Sudbury and in December this mortgage was assigned to Alexander Garrett. Further transfers of leases on this property and others in Folgate Street followed in the next few years. The lease of May 1725 had been witnessed by Francis Goswell, bricklayer, of Blossom Street, where Goswell had his carpenter's yard. No. 32 is built of brick with three storeys and a basement. It is two rooms deep in plan. The windows have segmental arches and jambs of rubbed red brick. The sashes are in exposed flush frames. The door of No. 32 has a simple stucco surround with an arch, moulded imposts, keyblock, and a cornice-head, which must date from the nineteenth century.
17, Princelet Street, Spitalfields, was built as a pair to No. 19 round 1718. The street was first known as Princess and then Princes Street. It was part of the Wood-Michell Estate, developed by Charles Wood of Lincoln's Inn and Simon Michell of the Middle Temple between 1718 and 1728. In September 1718. No. 17 was recorded as having been built by Samuel Phipps, bricklayer, who appears to have carried out the work under an agreement with Samuel Worrall made in September 1717. The house was conveyed by Phipps and others to Daniel Lee of Stepney, weaver, who was recorded as the occupant in 1724. The site at the back, including No. 28 Hanbury Street also built by Phipps, was part of the conveyance. In 1769, 1773 and 1783 the house was occupied by Samuel Ireland, junior, a weaver. No. 17 is built of yellow stock brick with red brick dressings. It has three storeys with an attic and basement. The ground floor has channelled stucco, dating from the nineteenth century, with a stucco band above. The windows have flat red brick arches and jambs. The sashes are in flush frames. The door has a stucco surround with console brackets supporting a cornice.
The weir on the River Reuss at the Spreuerbrücke, in front of the Jesuitenkirche,
The Spreuerbrücke is the less famous of Lucerne’s two wooden footbridges over the Reuss River, but unlike the Chapel Bridge is entirely original, dating to 1566.
Darker and smaller than its neighbour, it was built in 1408 at the spot in the Altstadt where folklore has it locals were allowed to throw chaff (Spreu) into the river.
The roof panels of the bridge were painted by Caspar Meglinger between 1626 and 1635 and are entitled ‘The Dance of Death’, depicting how the plague affected society.
Beside the bridge is the Nadelwerk, a device put in place in the 19th century to control the flow of the river.
The Jesuitenkirche (Jesuit Church) on the banks of the Reuss River in Lucerne was built in 1666 by Father Christoph Vogler, and was the first religious building in Switzerland constructed in the baroque style.
It was redecorated in the mid-18th century, with ceiling paintings depicting the apotheosis of St Francis Zavier, and onion-domed twin towers were add in the 19th century.
Louis XIV (1638-1715), Louis the Great or the Sun King (le Roi-Soleil).
Louis was the founder of the Versailles Palace, a building that effectively reflected his power and success. Louis managed to consolidate the French monarch's power and centralise government. During his reign, Louis successfully fought the Franco-Dutch War, the War of the League of Augsburg, and the War of the Spanish Succession, as well as the War of Devolution and the War of the Reunions.
One of the statues as part of the parade of figures.
The Palace of Versailles was created at the instruction of Louis XIV, and was the centre of French government and power from 1682, when Louis XIV moved from Paris, until Louis XVI and the royal family was forced to return to the capital in 1789.
The chateau is built around a hunting lodge established by by Louis XIII, and was created in four phases: 1664–68, 1669–72, 1678–84 and 1699–1710, by the architects Le Vau, Le Nôtre, and Le Brun.
The pilgrimage church of Wies (German: Wieskirche) is an oval rococo church, designed in the late 1740s by Dominikus Zimmermann, who spent the last eleven years of his life in a nearby dwelling. It is located in the foothills of the Alps, the Steingaden municipality of the Weilheim-Schongau district, Bavaria, Germany.
In 1738 tears were seen on a dilapidated wooden figure of the Scourged Saviour. This miracle resulted in a pilgrimage rush to see the sculpture. In 1740 a small chapel was built to house the statue, but it was soon realized that the building would be too small for the number of pilgrims it attracted, and thus Steingaden Abbey decided to commission a separate shrine. Many people who have prayed in front of the statue of Jesus on the altar have claimed that people have been miraculously cured of their diseases, which has made this church even more of a pilgrimage site.
In contrast to the riotous interior, the exterior of the church does not display the ostentatious theatricality and striving for effect typical of that time.
In contrast to the riotous interior, the exterior of the church does not display the ostentatious theatricality and striving for effect typical of that time.
Construction took place between 1745 and 1754, and the interior was decorated in stuccowork in the tradition of the Wessobrunner School. "Everything was done throughout the church to make the supernatural visible. Sculpture and murals combined to unleash the divine in visible form"[1]. The church, commonly regarded as Zimmermann's final masterpiece, was secularized in the beginning of the 19th century. Subsequently, protests of local farmers saved this jewel of rococo architecture and design from being sold and demolished. The Wieskirche was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983 and underwent massive restoration in 1985-91.
Restoration House, Crow Lane, Rochester, is largely from the late sixteenth century and the mid-seventeenth century. The house was conveyed to Henry Clarke, Recorder of Rochester, in 1607. The current name derives from Charles II's visit in 1660. It is of red and brown brick in English bond, with a Kent tile roof. Two storeys with attics. The core is two separate buildings of 1454 and 1502-22 to the north and south of the site. The south wing contains a great deal of late sixteenth and early seventeenth century work, and fits a traditional dating to 1587. The north and south buildings were linked during another phase of building between 1600 and 1640, and further internal work was undertaken by Henry Clerke's son, Sir Francis, betwen 1660 and 1680. The main front was refaced with a porch probably dating from the 1620s. This porch has a giant-order of pilasters, a round-headed doorway with niche above, and the basement is rusticated. Most of the windows are casements with mullions and transoms. At first-floor level the windows are in raised and lobed architraves, some with rusticated aprons below. The ground-floor windows are in rusticated surrounds (as seen here).
Elder Street in Spitalfields was leased for building in 1722, and No. 15 was built in 1727. It was originally only one room deep but was given an extension with staircase during building. The house is built of dark-red brick with rubbed brick dressings. It is of four storeys with basement and attic, and three windows wide, with one blank above the door at first and second floor levels. The windows are segment-headed with double-hung sashes, and have flush frames. The wooden doorcase has panelled reveals, fluted Doric pilasters (but described as plain in the 1950 listing document), triglyphs, rosettes in metopes and a mutule cornice.
Great Ormond Street was developed by Nicholas Barbon from 1686 onwards, and continued after his death by Sir William Millman. The houses at the east end of the street date from 1710-15. No. 7 was built by John Cooper and Edward Chapman. It is of brown brick with red brick dressings, and has four storeys with a basement. The windows have gauged brick flat arches and later recessed sash windows. There are brick bands at first- and second-floor levels, and a stone cornice at third-floor level.
Service buildings in brick and stone flanking the avant-cour. Vaux-le-Vicomte was originally planned to be constructed in brick and stone, but after the mid-century, as the middle classes began to imitate this style, aristocratic circles began using stone exclusively. Rather late in the design process, Fouquet and Le Vau switched to stone.
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Vaux-le-Vicomte (Est.1658) - a baroque French château on a 33 hectares (100 acres) estate with formal gardens along a three-kilometer axis. Built between 1658 to 1661 as a symbol of power and influence and intended to reflect the grandeur of Nicolas Fouquet, Marquis de Belle Île, Viscount of Melun and Vaux, the superintendent of finances of Louis XIV.
The château was an influential work of architecture in mid-17th-century Europe. The architect Louis Le Vau, the landscape architect André le Nôtre, and the painter-decorator Charles Le Brun worked together on this large-scale project. This marked the beginning of the "Louis XIV style" combining architecture, interior design and landscape design. Their next following project was to build Versailles.
See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaux-le-Vicomte
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About Pixels - #architecture #monument - #VLV #Maincy #FR
Gray's Inn Square was formed by joining two older courts between 1685 and 1693. The three terraced sets of chambers and a gatehouse are built of brown brick with red brick dressings, and have brick bands between floors. The ranges are of four storeys over basements, and have wooden eaves cornices with brackets. The windows have gauged brick flat arches. The sashes are in flush boxing. The stone doorcases give access to the sets of chambers and have broken segmental pediments carried by consoles. The balls over the doors are inscribed 'with figures [=numerals] for distinction'. Gray's Inn Square was much repaired after War damage.
Mickelgate House, 88-90 Mickelgate, York, built for Sir John Bouchier of Beningbroughby John Carr, dated 1752. Open string main main staircase to first floor. Cantilevered stairs with three balusters, alternately turned, fluted and twisted to each tread. Moulded serpentine handrail.
Albury Street, Deptford, was built by Thomas Lucas between 1705 and 1717. The houses were originally two storeys, with attics and sunk basements, but nos 23-27 have nineteenth-century extensions at attic level. Stock brick with red brick dressings. The parapet at no. 31 conceals a tiled roof with dormers. There are tall, rectangular chimney stacks. The sash windows have flush mounted frames, but at No. 25, for example, there are nineteenth-century replacements in stucco lined reveals. The doors have panelled pilasters and hoods on carved brackets (some are modern replacements for lost originals).
The Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene (canonically known as Saint John the Baptist Parish and colloquially known as Quiapo Church; Spanish: Basílica Menor del Nazareno Negro) is a prominent Roman Catholic Latin-rite basilica located in the District of Quiapo in the City of Manila, Philippines. The basilica is famous home for the shrine of the Black Nazarene, a dark statue of Jesus Christ many claim to be miraculous.
A veritable army of fortune tellers and stores offering herbal products surround the Quiapo church. Ongoing sales of pirated media and thievery are prevalent in the district.
The building of St Giles House at Wimborne St Giles, Dorset, as it presently exists was begun by Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper, later 1st earl of Shaftesbury (1621-1683), in 1651. The south front, seen here, was built of brick. The windows were originally mullion and transom and later changed to sashes. The stone window surrounds were inset, with stonework smashed into the flat brick arches, as seen here.In 1740-44 the building was enlarged and altered for Anthony Ashley Cooper, 4th earl of Shaftesbury (1711-1771) by Henry Flitcroft. Later, the exterior was given Roman cement render by P.C. Hardwick in 1854, now removed, and leaving visible hacking.
Albury Street, Deptford, built by Thomas Lucas between 1705 and 1717. Originally two storeys, attic and sunk basement, but nos 17, 23-27 and 35 have nineteenth-century extensions at attic level. Stock brick with red brick dressings. Parapets conceal tiled roofs with dormers. Tall, rectangular chimney stacks. Sash windows in flush mounted frames, but at nos 25 and 33, for example, there are nineteenth-century replacements in stucco lined reveals. Doors with panelled pilasters and hoods on carved brackets (some modern replacements for lost originals).
Boston House, Chiswick Square, is of c.1680 but refronted around 1740. It is of brown brick with red dressings and five windows wide. There is a moulded cornice, parapet and a roof with three dormers. The windows have flat brick arches and the sashes are in flush frames. The wooden doorcase has Roman Doric fluted pilasters, capitals with recettes, and a pediment. The door has six panels. The forecourt has iron railings and is laid with paving stones.
19 The Close, Salisbury, was built in the late seventeenth century, apparently in 1677 for Francis Hill, Deputy Recorder for Salisbury. It was later bought (then numbered No. 87) by Walter Kerr Hamilton, Bishop of Salisbury, in 1860 for use as a theological college, which it remains. Built of brick, two storeys high with a hipped roof. A plinth is stone-capped and there are chamfered stone quoins. The front is nine windows wide with slightly projecting wings. Each wing is two windows wide with one dormer, the central section is five windows wide and has three dormers. The dormers have sashes (four over eight). The windows at first and second-floor levels are six over six in exposed boxes with thin glazing bars. There is a moulded stone string course at first-floor level, and a wooden modillion eaves cornice.The doorway has a straight hood on a frieze with acanthus brackets carried on scrolls. The low brick forecourt walls have stone gate piers and stone pineapples.
Eaves cornice and rusticated quoins from the entrance to the almshouses at Trinity Green, Whitechapel, founded through the benefaction of Captain Henry Mudd of Ratcliff (d. 1692) and built in 1695 by William Ogbourne, master carpenter, for the Corporation of Trinity House. The residents were '28 decayed masters and commanders of ships or the widows of such'. The almshouses are in two facing rows, one storey high, with basements, and a wooden block and bracketed eaves cornice. The end of each row of the almshouses terminates on Whitechapel Road with an elevation of two storeys in brick with stone dressings, rusticated angled stone quoins, and a modillioned cornice (as sen here).
Altstadt the historic centre of Salzburg, Austria.
It corresponds with the historic city centre, situated on the left and right banks of the Salzach river. It is renowned for its Baroque architecture and is one of the best-preserved city centres north of the Alps.
Salzburg lies on the site of the Roman settlement of Iuvavum. In 696 it became a seat of the archbishop in 798. Its main sources of income were salt extraction, trade, and gold mining. The fortress of Hohensalzburg, one of the largest medieval fortresses in Europe, dates from the 11th century. In the 17th century, Salzburg became a centre of the Counter-Reformation, with monasteries and numerous Baroque churches built.
It has managed to preserve an extraordinarily rich urban fabric, developed over the period from the Middle Ages to the 19th century when it was a city-state ruled by a prince-archbishop.
Salzburg's Flamboyant Gothic art attracted many craftsmen and artists before the city became even better known through the work of the Italian architects Vincenzo Scamozzi and Santini Solari, to whom the centre of Salzburg owes much of its Baroque appearance.
Information sources:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salzburg
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historic_Centre_of_the_City_of_Salz...
Service buildings in brick and stone flanking the avant-cour. Vaux-le-Vicomte was originally planned to be constructed in brick and stone, but after the mid-century, as the middle classes began to imitate this style, aristocratic circles began using stone exclusively. Rather late in the design process, Fouquet and Le Vau switched to stone.
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Maincy - Vaux-le-Vicomte
Vaux-le-Vicomte (Est.1658) - a baroque French château on a 33 hectares (100 acres) estate with formal gardens along a three-kilometer axis. Built between 1658 to 1661 as a symbol of power and influence and intended to reflect the grandeur of Nicolas Fouquet, Marquis de Belle Île, Viscount of Melun and Vaux, the superintendent of finances of Louis XIV.
The château was an influential work of architecture in mid-17th-century Europe. The architect Louis Le Vau, the landscape architect André le Nôtre, and the painter-decorator Charles Le Brun worked together on this large-scale project. This marked the beginning of the "Louis XIV style" combining architecture, interior design and landscape design. Their next following project was to build Versailles.
Info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaux-le-Vicomte.
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Richard Poppelaars
About Pixels Photography: #architecture #monument #VLV #Maincy #FR
The building of St Giles House at Wimborne St Giles, Dorset, as it presently exists was begun by Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper, later 1st earl of Shaftesbury (1621-1683), in 1651. The south front was built of brick with brick quoins that were given lime render and colour wash to look like stone (as seen here). The quoins are flush pointed with black lining below. In 1740-44 the building was enlarged and altered for Anthony Ashley Cooper, 4th earl of Shaftesbury (1711-1771) by Henry Flitcroft. Later, the exterior was given Roman cement render by P.C. Hardwick in 1854, now removed, and leaving visible hacking.
Finial on area railings at 16 Charles Square, London. This is a brick house of three storeys with basement and attic, five bays wide, built around 1725. On 13 January 1726/27, "all that messuage or tenement lately built and yet uninhabited, scituate on the west side of Charles Square" was mortgaged by Sarah Webster to William Guy. The portion of the west side of the square belonging to the Websters included No. 16 and it must be one of the houses mentioned in the indenture.
The Berliner Dom is a baroque Cathedral built between 1894 and 1905. It is located on an island in the river Spree in the Mitte borough. Being on the museum island, it attracts some interesting characters.
Jon & Tina Reid | Travel Portfolio | Photography Blog | Travel Flickr Group
Aula Leopoldina
University of Wroclaw
Above the auditorium, a large allegorical fresco illustrates the apotheosis of Divine Wisdom, the source of all knowledge, and the personifications of the sciences and arts of the time.
The Aula Leopoldina is named for the founder of the original educational institution, the Emperor Leopold I. Room created 1728 - 1732
Christoph Tausch, architect
stucco decorations by Franz Joseph Mangoldt
ceiling painting by Johann Christoph Handke
stucco ornaments and marble decoration were made by the Italian master Ignazio Provisore.
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General view of Andrew's Descent with the Saint Andrew's Church in the background. Andrew's Descent is a historic descent connecting Kyiv's Upper Town neighborhood and the historically commercial Podil neighborhood.
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%D0%90%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80%...
Visit to the Austrian National Library on Wednesday May 21st, 2025 during the Joint Meeting Vienna. We went as a group before our gala dinner. The library in German is Österreichische Nationalbibliothek and is located at Josefsplatz 1, 1015 Wien. This is truly one of the most stunning libraries I have ever visited. The public area is the State Hall, built in the Baroque style in the 18th century by Emperor Charles the VI whose statue sits in the middle of the space.
The Chapelle Royale (Royal Chapel) was the fifth and final chapel built for Louis XIV, and dedicated to St Louis, patron saint of the Bourbons.
The chapel was built during the fourth (and final) phase of construction.
Designed by architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart (1646-1708), construction on the chapel began in 1689, but work was delayed due to war between France and the Grand Alliance (a coalition between the Anglo-Dutch William III, Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I, Charles II of Spain, Victor Amadeus II of Savoy, and other princes); work resumed after France's victory, running from 1699–1710.
The ceiling of the nave is decorated with 'God the Father in His Glory Bringing to the World the Promise of Redemption' by Antoine Coypel; the half-dome of the apse with 'The Resurrection of Christ' by Charles de la Fosse; and above the royal tribune is 'The Descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Virgin and the Apostles' by Jean Jouvenet.
The Palace of Versailles was created at the instruction of Louis XIV, and was the centre of French government and power from 1682, when Louis XIV moved from Paris, until Louis XVI and the royal family was forced to return to the capital in 1789.
The chateau is built around a hunting lodge established by by Louis XIII, and was created in four phases: 1664–68, 1669–72, 1678–84 and 1699–1710, by the architects Le Vau, Le Nôtre, and Le Brun.
Looking down the Grand Canal towards Il Salute from the Accademia Bridge.
The Grand Canal (Il Canal Grande or the Canalazzo) is the main waterway in Venice, dividing the city in two and crossed by only four bridges in its entire near-four kilometre length.
It is much wider than any of the other canals in Venice – between 30m and 70m across – but less than 5m deep and is lined with a number of palaces and churches.
The number one and number two vaporetto services take both locals and (mainly) tourists along its length, allowing them the chance to admire the sights from the water.
The white stone edifice of Santa Maria della Salute – the Salute – was built in the 17th century by a Venetian government who prayed for an end to plague and had their prayers answered.
The Senate had decreed a church to honour the Virgin Mary would be built and they honoured their promise, commissioning Baldassare Longhena to construct the present building.
It took 50 years to erect and is a masterpiece of baroque architecture, owing much to Andrea Palladio. The octagonal structure, with a great dome rising from the base, contains several altars and works of art by painters such as Titian.
Every year on November 21 – the feast of the Presentation of the Virgin – the church is the home of great celebrations and prayers for health and wellness.