If you're spending more than a few days in Venice, take time to visit the islands of the Venetian Lagoon. You'll reach the islands on motoscafi (water buses) of Actv, the Venice public-transportation company. Allow a full day for the entire excursion, or half a day if you skip San Michele and the Lido. Of the several islands in the Venetian Lagoon, the 3 main ones are Burano, Murano and Torcello. Though small, each island has developed its own name and fame separate from Venice. The people of Burano are known internationally for their lace industry. Murano's inhabitants have a reputation as artisans as well, producing world-famous glassware. Torcello was the first of Venice's Islands to be populated, making it home to some of the areas oldest buildings and finest cathedrals. But there are two extraordinary islands, two places of the spirit, which are surrounded by a unique solitude and which deserve a special mention: San Francesco del Deserto and San Lazzaro degli Armeni. These two islands have a very particular charm and beauty.
Murano
The
Murano Island is usually described as an island in the Venetian Lagoon, although like Venice itself it is actually an archipelago of islands linked by bridges. It lies about a mile north of Venice and is famous for its glass making, particularly lampworking. It was once an independent comune, but is now a località of the comune of Venice.
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Burano
The
Burano Island is the most picturesque of the lagoon islands due to the extraordinary colours of its low houses, doors and windows, which look like the work of naive painters. The island can be reached in less than an hour from the Fondamenta Nuove and in half an hour from San Zaccaria. Burano is made up of four little islands separated by canals.
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Torcello
The
Torcello Island is a quiet and sparsely populated island at the northern end of the Venetian Lagoon. It is considered the oldest continuously populated region of Venice. Torcello is worth a visit: A magnificent Byzantine-Italian cathedral dating back to 639 A.D., the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, looms over the island with the Bell Tower.
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San Francesco del Deserto
The
San Francesco del Deserto island was occupied in 1200 by a community of Franciscan friars who still live inside an austere convent embellished by two XIV and XV century cloisters. The island is very ancient. Traces which have emerged reveal it was frequented by the Romans. The island can be reached both from Venice and Burano in 20 minutes by boat.
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San Lazzaro degli Armeni
San Lazzaro degli Armeni is a small island in the Venetian Lagoon, completely occupied by a monastery that is the mother-house of the Mekhitarist Order, the island is one of the world's foremost centers of Armenian culture. Inside the convent there is an important library and in the church there are valuable paintings.
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