Santa Maria della Salute 21 November In October 1630, the Venetian 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, by Longhena, and dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

After the construction of the church, the annual Feast of the Presentation of the Virgin saw a major procession of the city's officials from San Marco to La Salute for a service of thanksgiving for deliverance from the plague. This involved crossing the Grand Canal on a specially constructed pontoon bridge. The Festa della Madonna della Salute is still a major event in Venice.