San Francesco del Deserto

It is one of the most beautiful and fascinating islands of the Venice Lagoon about twenty minutes by boat from Burano and ten minutes from Ricevitoria in the Cavallino Treporti coast. It is a silent island for spiritual contemplations. Place of prayer and meditation and suitable for a moment of Christian meditation.

First inhabited by the Romans, the island was originally called “Isola delle Vigne”, but legend tells us that St. Francis stopped to pray with his travel companion on the way back from the Fifth Crusade in 1220. The island was called with the name of the saint until 1400 then abandoned due to diseases that spread easily in the lagoon. Later the Franciscan Order returned to the Island. From the pier, a short walk along a path lined with cypresses takes the traveller to the monastery.

The first cloister dates from the 13th century but has lost its original charm as Napoleon later removed the alabaster columns. The central well is from the 15th century. The second cloister is private, for the personal use of the friars. We find the church with its bell tower. The oratory of San Francesco includes a narrow cell with a grate and a life-size figure of St. Francis in prayer depicting the moment he reached the island. The walk around the gardens is beautiful, especially on the western side with views of Burano and Torcello.