The feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple commemorates the day on which (according to an extra-biblical tradition) Mary’s parents, Anne and Joachim, entrusted her to the priests and Levites in the Temple to be raised in the Lord’s service.
On this date, Venice commemorates an episode of the plague, which occurred in 1630 and claimed 12,000 victims in the month of November alone.
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Faced with the brutality of the pandemic, Patriarch Giovanni Tiepolo ordered public prayers for a week, then a procession for 15 Saturdays led by a precious icon of Our Lady, known as “Maria Nicopeia,” said to have been painted by St. Luke himself.
Venice lost 700,000 inhabitants in two years, but the plague came to an end.
Thanking Mary
To thank the Virgin Mary, a church was built at the end of the Grand Canal, called “Santa Maria della Salute” (Our Lady of Health).
ALBERTO PIZZOLI | AFP
Every November 21, a floating bridge is built over the Grand Canal to make it easier to reach this edifice, where Masses and rosaries are celebrated throughout the day. This is a public holiday in Venice.
Below, the pontoon bridge built for Pope Francis to cross during his April 28, 2024, visit.
ALBERTO PIZZOLI | AFP
The city has a procession with public officials, a tradition which dates back to the 1600s.
