Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-10
cities of Europe. as you will see by the
following table for 1900:

fine death rate /. Rome Will excite
surprise. as that also is considered
has been practically eXtirpated by dram
age. sanitary regulat tons and other artl-
fetal precautions The other cities of Eu-
rope which have a death rate correspond
ing to that of Venice are vienna. where
it is 206 and Paris. 20.J. while the near
est cities in the United States are Phlla-
delphia. 1875 and Baltimore. 1917. the
greatest degree of mortality reported IN
Venice is from diseases of the lungs
blood ana nervous system.
Contrary to the general belief, the water
supply of Venice is superior. 1T is brought
under ground more than sixty miles from
artesian wells in the mountains. ana con-
veyed to tower from which it is pump
ed through the city.
Votive Offerings.
The pious people of Venice believe that
the health of the city has been preserved
and plaques prevented by the interposi-
ton of the Holy Virgin and the saints in
answer to prayer and votve offerings.
Not less than six churches have been
erected in fulfllment of VOWS made dur
the famous Santa Maria della Salute
tHoly Mary of Healthy. which is second
to st. Marks in size and grandeur. IN
lG'n when the great plague was at ITS
height the Venetians made a vow that
if it were stopped they would erect an
appropriate temple to the Madonna OF
Health. The doge and tie council APP
proved the proposition, and Doge Con-
tarani and Cardinal Tiepolo entered into
a covenant on the Both day of Novem-
Der. 1851 That very day the plague be-
gan to subside and % more cases We're
The church. was begun early in
1882. and its foundations rest upon
], 2Oo.C0 piles thickly coated with cepent.
Upon the high altar is group in mar
BILE representing the Holy Virgin Danish
ing the plague.
According to the VOWS made at that
time. the doge and the councN of the re-
public always visited Santa Maria della
Salute on the anniversary of the cove
the mayor and common council of the
city have fulfilled them instead.
Titian's Burial Place.
Titan the great artist. died of the.
plague in Venice in 1875. in his ninety
ninth year. and was buried in the Church
of the Minorite Friars in violation OF
law which provides that no remains shall
be buried in the churches but that all
bodies shall be inferred in cemeteries be-
yond the boundaries of the city. The only
exceptions were in favor of the doges
and two or three famous people like tt
tldH. Even curing the teTTOI OL the prague
an exception was made in his favor, al
though the walls of the church. covered
with priceless paintings. were white
washed with disinfectants.
The heart of Canova. the great sculptor.
is buried on the opposite side of the same
church. His body rests in his native viii
lage, near Bassano, while his right hand,
which showed so much cunning, is pre-
served in the Venetian Academy of Arts.
The tomb of Canova was designed by
himself, and was originally intended for
Titan.
In the Church. of Santa Maria della Sa-
lutte is Titian's celebrated painting of St.
Mark. which Ruskin considered his best
work. At the time of his death Titan
was engaged upon a great picture of the
entombment of Christ, and it WIS almost
finished when the plague took him. One
of his pupils. Palma Giovane, completed
it. and 1t now hangs in the academy at
Venice. work of remarkable merit for
any artist, and probably the only picture
ever painted by a man ninety-nine years
old. In the Church of San Salvatore in,
Venice is Titian's "Annunciation," which
is considered one of his greatest works,
it was painted in his eighty
ninth year. On the cathedral at Florence
is large canvas painted by Michelan-
gelo when he was eighty-one.