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	105 of 181. In the summer of 1630, Venice experienced a devastating outbreak of the plague. Nearly 1/3 of the population perished. As repeated prayers and processions of other churches failed to stem the epidemic, the Venetian Senate decreed that a new church would be built. It would be dedicated to the Virgin Mary, who for many reasons was thought to be a protector of the Republic. The result was the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute....The church built to celebrate the end of the plague.