Islands of the Lagoon

Murano

Murano is famous for its glasss-blowing workshops that started in the 13th century. Many palaces in Venice contain elaborate multicoloured chandeliers from this island. There are several places in Murano where you can watch the artisans at work in their forges and workshops. The Museo Vetraio contains some exquisite pieces and are the best examples of the work. There is also the Modern and Contemporany Glass Museum that exhibits more recent pieces. In the Church of Maria e Donato you can see fragments of Murano glass in the 12th century. The church's fantastic mosaic pavement and an impressive mosaic of the Virgin Mary are both from the 12th century.

Burano

Lace-making is a big art and trade in Burano. All over the island you will find several schools that teach Lace Making with exquisite examples of it for sale. Scuola dei Merletti is one such school where you can watch people at work. This is one of the few schools that helped rejuventate the craft which had all but died out. An attraction in Burano is the church of S.Martino with its Crucifixion by Tiepolo. Also worth a visit is the little island of San Francesco del Deserto with his monastery. If you plan to buy lace on the island, choose with care and discretion a lot of imitation lace are available for cheap.

Giudecca

The Island of Giudecca was an escapist zone during the age of the Venice Republic. Its now a city with nice residences and gardens, with a nice dock that forms a pleasant boulevard to walk and where to enjoy the wonderful sight over Venice. Jewish community lived in this region in the 13th century and is probably where the city got its name from. Rich and famous Italians later built their villas on the island. The main attraction is the Redentore church, built by Palladio in 1577 after the city was saved from a savage out break of plague. The festival of the Redentore is one of the most important event in Venice.

San Giorgio Maggiore

On the island of Chiesa di San Giorgio Maggiore is a church with the same name. The Church had one of the most prominent positions in Venice and had a significant influence on Renaissance architecture. Built in 1565, the church has an austere interior, an interesting contrast to its bold façade. Some of its treasured exhibits include a Deposition in the Cappella dei Morti and works by Tintoretto: a Last Supper and the Shower of Manna on the walls of the high altar.

Torcello

Torcello is a pretty little island with old buildings and monuments dating back to the 7th to 13th centuries. During this time the island was the seat of the Bishop of Altinum and home to some 20,000 people. Some of the remnants of this city include two beautiful churches. One is the Duomo di Santa Maria dell'Assunta, has splendid mosaics covering the floor as well as the walls built in Byzantine style. The other church, San Fosca is just as ancient. Near the cathedral is the Museo dell'Estuario which contains artifacts from the ruins of the old city. War with Venice and a number of epidemics reduced the island's splendor and its population. Very few people live on the island today.

The Lido

The Lido is more of a strip of land between Venice and the open sea rather than an island. It is both the residential suburb and the unique beach of the city. It is connected to Venice by a Steamer Service and is the only Island to have streets and vehicles. Every year at the end of summer an International Venice Film Festival is held that attracts a lot of visitors. Lido became a fashionable seaside resort with rows of modern apartments and hotels. There is a steady stream of tourists particularly holidaying Italians and Germans that visit Lido ensuring that the beaches are crowded.

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