JANET'S JOURNAL

Snippets of interest from a Grand Tourist 

Maps – I just love maps

Maps – I just love maps

Maps are a rich source of information including history, geography and landscape. To study a map carefully is to learn about a region or an area before setting foot in it. Grand Tourist

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Venice – Quarantine and Santa Maria Salute

Venice – Quarantine and Santa Maria Salute

Venice was a port city – visiting ships arrived from the east every day. Sometimes the ships were carrying not just cargoes but also the plague. Venetians created quarantine islands in the 15th century. Then in 1631 they began to build the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute – in gratitude for surviving the plague of 1630.

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Venice – Quarantine and Santa Maria Salute

Venice – Quarantine and Santa Maria Salute

Venice is a cosmopolitan port city which has suffered devastating outbreaks of plague throughout its history. It was the first to develop quarantine islands in the lagoon. Every November 21st, it celebrates the Feast of Santa Maria della Salute, an occasion for Venetians to give thanks for being delivered from the plague in the 1630s.

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