VENICE IS A SEXY PLACE. The curves of its Grand Canal and palazzos, mysterious passageways, and flowing tides make it magically seductive.
It’s always been closely tied to Mary and was officially established as an Italian republic on the same day as her Annunciation (March 25). It also has a history of being a bustling port town, and along with sailors and wealthy single merchants went prostitutes and high-class courtesans, like the famous poet Veronica Franco.
The mix of these two female aspects of Venice is literally carved in stone on the Rialto Bridge. On one side there’s a bas-relief of the Annunciation. On the other side, to the left, is a woman with her legs spread, sitting over flames. The story of this gal is that she was a prostitute who was around when the idea for building the Rialto Bridge was first proposed. “Impossible,” she said. “If you build it, I’ll burn my crotch!” And so the bridge was built and the bawdy woman remembered.
Back on the BVM side of Venice, you’ll see in its museums and churches how architects, painters, and sculptors pay homage to Mary in Venetian Renaissance style, bringing out the passionate emotions of her story.
Here are two of my favorite Santa Maria churches:
At the opening of the Grand Canal, The Salute, or what my husband calls “the giant white boob,” welcomes visitors to Venice.
Salute means health and salvation, which is what the Venetians needed desperately in 1631. For two years, the plague had ravaged the city, causing 45,000 deaths, a loss of one third of their population. The doge ordered prayers to Mary, the plague stopped, and it was decided to build a church to thank her.
Baldassare Longhena, at thirty-two years old, won a contest to design the church and came up with a Mary-centric plan. The dome represents her crown, the round shape her womb, the octagonal interior, her eight-sided star. The center of the marble floor features thirty-two roses, symbolizing the beads of her Rosary.
It’s refreshing to step into the airy expanse of this church, with loads of light flooding through its giant dome. A marble sculpture at the main altar tells the plague story. In the center of it is the Madonna and child, bordered on one side by a pretty signorina who represents Venezia. On the other side is the plague—an old hag running from an angel who holds out a torch.
Pay the extra couple euros to get into the sacristy and see such masterpieces as Tintoretto’s folksy hit on the Marriage at Cana, where he got his friends to pose and women are in charge of pouring wine out of giant jugs. Titian’s ceiling paintings here are also stunning, especially The Sacrifice of Abraham, where an angel swoops in to save Abraham’s son Isaac, depicted as an adorable three-year-old with Titian-colored hair. Use the mirrors set on the side benches to get the best view.
In a corner are four simple Madonna portraits by Sassoferrato, a baroque painter who was influenced by Raphael. Though critics call them too sentimental, they win me over.
Santa Maria della Salute: Dorsoduro 1, daily 9-noon, 3-5:30, www.basilicasalutevenezia.it.
This tiny glowing marble treasure chest looks like it should be kept under glass in a museum. If you catch it on a sunny day it shimmers. It was built with marble left over from San Marco, by Pietro Lombardo, who fitted pink, gray, and butter-yellow stones together to dazzling effect inside and out.
The motivation to build this church came from a portrait of the Madonna that back in the fifteenth century was kept in a Cannaregio neighborhood yard. Venetians used to stop and pray to it, and miraculously their prayers were answered. It became so popular that people started to leave money in front of the portrait—enough to fund the building of a church, which became Santa Maria dei Miracoli. In fact, so much money was given that a second story and a convent were added.
The miraculous Madonna portrait now sits at the altar, up a flight of marble steps. The church’s gilded ceiling is painted with fifty portraits of saints and prophets, there are pillars carved with mermaids, putti, and floral motifs. It all blends seamlessly to create a romantic Renaissance masterpiece. It’s no wonder this is the first choice for brides around the world who want to get married in Venice.
Santa Maria dei Miracoli: Campo dei Miracoli, Monday-Saturday 10:30-4:30.
TIP: Santa Maria dei Miracoli belongs to a group of fifteen Chorus churches that charge admission to help pay for the upkeep and restoration of the treasures inside. More info: www.chorusvenezia.org
Golden Day: Visit dei Miracoli, enjoy a caffè in the adjoining campo to gawk some more at the church exterior. Have lunch at Osteria da Alberto (Calle Giacinto Gallina 5401, Cannareggio, 041 523 8153, www.osteriadaalberto.it), a classic, humble spot, beloved by locals, serving excellent cicchetti, seafood pastas, and risotto.
RECOMMENDED READING
The Honest Courtesan: Veronica Franco, Citizen and Writer in Sixteenth-Century Venice by Margaret F. Rosenthal