n October 1630, the Senate decreed that if the city was delivered from the currently raging plague that had killed about a third of Venice's population, then a new church would be built and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Baldassare Longhena, then only 26 years old, was selected to design the new church. It was finally completed in 1681, the year before Longhena's death.

The Salute is a vast, octagonal building. It is constructed of Istrian stone and Marmorino. While its external decoration and location capture the eye, the internal design itself is quite remarkable. The octagonal church, while ringed by a classic vocabulary, hearkens to Byzantine designs. It is full of Marian symbolism, the great dome represents her crown, the cavernous interior her womb, the eight sides the eight points on her symbolic star.