Torcello

Considered an isolated settlement in the lagoon, which in many ways was the precursor of the city of Venice, Torcello reached its peak in the fourteenth century before its population was decimated by a malaria epidemic. The island is a combination of Roman history, medieval churches and Byzantine mosaics. An exceptional place of peace and tranquillity. A territory rich in legends, history and folklore.

Torcello was almost certainly a port for the thriving Roman city of Altinum. Recent archaeological work has revealed traces of numerous canals that connected the city of Altinum to the island of Torcello. In all likelihood, Torcello was therefore a “transhipment” point for the goods that left Altinum and were shipped to other parts of the Roman Empire.

A place that inspired visitors even if the true undisputed king of Torcello was the writer Ernest Hemingway. He loved this island and stayed there at the historic “Locanda da Cipriani” in November 1948; here in one of the inn’s apartments he finished writing the novel “Across the River and Among the Trees”. In addition to Hemingway, the “Locanda” was a place of residence for important personalities from the world of entertainment and politics. We remember among the many Charlie Chaplin, Margareth Thatcher, Maria Callas, Paul Newman, Prince Charles and Lady Diana. Today it looks like a renowned restaurant.

Other places of interest to fully enjoy the wonders of the island, a land of ancient history are: the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, the large church with three naves of 1008, in whose interior the mosaic floor, the wooden crucifix are to be admired, a mosaic representing the Apotheosis of Christ and the Last Judgment, believed to be the work of the Venetian-Byzantine school of the 12th and 13th centuries, similar to the contemporary mosaics of San Marco. Here we will find the Throne of Attila and the legend that wants it as the throne of the Scourge of God. Finally, another interesting stop could be the archaeological museum.