The Madonna della Salute, celebrated every year on 21 November, is the festivity which is still a choral expression of the city's religious spirit; the Venetians' festivity which remembers that irreplaceable possession that is good health, understood both in the physical and spiritual sense. It recalls one of the most virulent plague epidemics in modern times and how the Doge, when all remedies seemed to no avail, made a solemn vow to build a church dedicated to the Virgin, to be named Santa Maria della Salute. As the epidemic diminished, construction began on the church designed by Baldassarre Longhena. A few decades later Francesco Morosini brought from Candia the painting of a Madonna dating from 1200 which, by decree of the Senate on 21 November 1670, was set on the high altar. From that 21 November the Madonna was known as the Madonna della Salute (Our Lady of Good Health). Since then the votive visit to the church is held annually on this date. As in the case of other religious feast-days, a fair very soon sprang up next to the church in the square in front and street vendors prospered by selling pevarini, zaleti, bussolai and above all the candles to take into the church during the traditional visit of devotion and thanksgiving. In the evening, at home or in the osterie, another old tradition: a hot and delicious-smelling castradina, a soup made of dried salted mutton, cooked several times with cabbage leaves.