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Islands
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LIDO
The Lido is a thin strip of land 12Km long that serves as a natural barrier between Venice and the open sea. The island was a major development beginning in the second half of the 19th century, housing many luxurious hotels and villas in the Liberty and Art Deco styles. The Lido is famous not only for its fabulous beaches but also because it is the site of the annual Venice Film Festival.
The only island that had drivable streets, it is connected with ferryboats to both Venice and the mainland. From Venice you can reach the Lido with frequent vaporettos. The fastest of these is the motonave which leaves from S. Marco and takes only 10 minutes to arrive. The Lido can be toured by bus, but the most popular means of transport is bicycle. You can rent bikes near the Santa Maria Elisabetta vaporetto stop. The long, straight road that runs parallel to the beach brings you to the southwestern town of Malamocco, where you can find many enjoyable restaurants renowned for their fish. Their remains little evidence that in the 8th century this was the seat of the Lagoon´s government.
GIUDECCA
Giudecca is the island closest to the city, linked with Venice by a population that comes to Venice everyday for work a daily activities. Separated from Venice by the deep and wide Giudecca Canal, it is believed that Giudecca began as the place where Venicès Jewish population was confined.
The island was the seat of many factories and plants that resonated a productive fervor. Today the Mulino Stucky remains; a colossal northern-influenced construction that takes up the western end of the island. It is now in the final stages of a restoration and reconstruction project that will allow it to be used as a residence and tourist and business convention and meeting center.
MURANO
Like the city of Venice, Murano is made up of a series of small islands connected with bridges. The glass industry, which transferred here from Venice in the 13th century, has attracted people from all over the world: Refined glassware is still produced by the roughly 260 Muranese companies that still operate. The shops are mostly located along the Fondamenta del Rio dei Vetrai, while on the island of San Donato you can find the oldest edifice in Murano: The Basilica of Santi Maria e Donato. The 12th century church has been preserved in much of its original state. Visitors should note the Veneto-Byzantine columns and the Gothic roof. A beautiful 13th century mosaic with a golden background of the Madonna decorates the apse.
The floor of the church, which dates back to 1140, is undeniably enchanting, with mosaics of geometric figures, exotic birds, mythical creatures and indecipherable figures. It includes glass fragments from the island´s foundry.
BURANO
In the heart of the northern lagoon, Burano is the most picturesque of the islands. It is distinguished by its simple buildings, stylistically unitary but painted in different, bright colors. This gives the settlement its characteristic multi-colored aspect. It is believed that the task of painting the houses was given to the women, who hoped to make Burano visible from a distance to the fisherman returning home.
The Lace Museum, connected with the still-active school, documents three centuries of the local handmade creations.
TORCELLO
Founded between the 5th and 6th centuries, Torcello became a flourishing colony, with palaces, churches, and a population which is said to have reached 20,000. With the ascent of Venice, the island went into decline and today it has only about 60 residents.
The cathedral, founded in 639 and reconstructed in 1008 offers splendid golden mosaics and Byzantine iconography inside that contrast sharply with the austere aspect of the exterior of the monumental complex. Isolated in a idyllic rural setting, it includes the bell tower (11th century), the remains of the baptistery, the church of Santa Fosca (11th century), the Palaces of the Archives and of the Government (14th century), the seat of the Estuary Museum, with archeological traces from Torcello and the rest of the lagoon.
SAN FRANCESCO DEL DESERTO
This little green oasis, inhabited by nine monks, is located right under Burano. There is no vaporetto service and to get there you must bargain with a boatman from Burano who, after taking you across to the island, will wait to bring you back. One of the monks will conduct a tour of the church and the enchanting gardens, where there is a tree which is said to have sprouted the wood for the cane of San Francesco d´Assisi.
SAN SERVOLO
Halfway between St. Marks and the Lido is the island of San Servolo. It is now the Development Center for craftsmen and Restorers, but at its origin it was home to one of Venicès oldest monasteries, established by the Benedictines in the 8th century. Later they added a hospital. Former seat of the psychiatric hospital, in 1980 this sparse island passed into the hands of the European Development Center for Craftsmen and architectural heritage. Students come here to learn about traditional craftsmanship, especially in the field of antique restoration.
SANTA MARIA DELLA GRAZIA
Once called La Cavana or Cavanella this island is located very near to San Giorgio Maggiore. At one time it served as the refuge for pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land. Then in the 15th century it became a monastery island. The name was changed following the construction of a church that´s purpose was to conserve a miraculous image of the Virgin originating from Constantinople. Today, Santa aria della Grazia is occupied by a hospital for infectious diseases, which will probably be shut down in the near future.
SAN LAZZARO DEGLI ARMENI
Situated right off of the Lido, San Lorenzo degli Armeni is a small convent-island with an abundance of vegetation. In the 12th century this little island was used as a hospital which later became a hospital for lepers, which is why it is named after their patron saint, Saint Lazarus. The lepers were then transported to the hospital San Lazzaro dei Mendicanti, near the church of San Giovanni and Paolo. In the 18th century it became the refuge of an Armenian monk, who founded a religious order. The Armenians restructured the island, building a monastery with a church, library, study room, gardens and orchards. The island became a center for the study and diffusion of Armenian culture.
POVEGLIA
Once called Popilia for the many Poplar trees, the island was a flourishing community that had its own government and monastery. Today the island is mostly orchards and farmland.
VIGNOLE E SANT´ERASMO
The islands of Vignole and Sant´Erasmo are situated in the east and northeast of Venice and constitute the margin that divides the northern lagoon, including Murano and Burano, from the bay of the Port of Lidome. Until the end of the 19th century they formed the diaphragm between the lagoon and the sea. Their strategic position explains the presence of several fortifications that represent the only historical and architectural structures of interest in this part of the lagoon.
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