The church of the Redentore (‘Redeemer’) stands on the long island of the Giudecca to the south of Venice. It was built to the designs of Palladio after the plague of 1575-7, which killed 50,000 people, a quarter of the city’s population. Each year the Doge crossed the Canale della Giudecca on a pontoon bridge of boats to attend a thanksgiving service in the Redentore. Canaletto’s view is taken from the Fondamenta delle Zattere, the quay running along the south of Dorsoduro. The church is thus seen from a distance of 400m, strongly foreshortening the building.