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Venice: Festa della Salute (Feast of Health)
November 21, 2016
After a pestilence struck Venice in 1630, the Doge prayed to the Virgin Mary to stop the spread of the disease and protect the people of Venice. The Doge also ordered the construction of a church in her honor, which became the Chiesa della Salute, and which, every year on November 21st, becomes a mecca for Venetians, who take a boat pilgimage over to the church to pay tribute to Mary and to pray for good health for the future.
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