Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute Tours and Tickets

No, you do not have to purchase an admission ticket or book in advance to enter Venice’s Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute. You must pay a small fee to enter the sacristy, which houses the lion’s share of the church’s artworks, including paintings by Titian and Tintoretto.

Though Venice sightseeing tours generally stop to admire the church from across the Grand Canal, only walking tours of the surrounding Dorsoduro district visit the Basilica and its collection of Venetian masters in the sacristy. Art-focused itineraries also often include a stop here to marvel at the works by Titian and Tintoretto.

The artistic highlights inside the church are a 12th-century icon of the Madonna of Good Health on the high altar and a side altar with Titian’s The Descent of the Holy Spirit. Among the sacristy collection, a clutch of Titian masterpieces and Tintoretto’s Wedding Feast of Cana steal the show.

This basilica is an active place of worship that the Venetians hold especially dear, so be respectful when visiting and take care not to disturb any religious services. Like all Italian churches, Santa Maria della Salute has a dress code; you must cover your shoulders and knees to enter.

Yes, you can climb the 150 steps to the walkway around the base of the church’s iconic dome for views over the Grand Canal and across to St. Mark’s Square and the bell tower. Tickets are scheduled every 30 minutes, and only five people can enter at a time, so be sure to book ahead.

Yes, one of Venice's most important annual events is held each Nov. 21 at the basilica: the Feast of Santa Maria della Salute. This yearly procession and pilgrimage commemorate the end of the Black Plague, which killed about a third of the city’s population in 1630.