Lagoon Islands

A quick survey from the Campanile of San Marco shows that the splendour of Venice is guarded by numerous modest, even humble, outlying urban archipelago. One island is Torcello, it was originally settled in the fifth century AD and its gorgeous cathedral begun to rise in 639

.The island is small,flat,green,and wild and so it seemed to me after the darse urban ostentation of Venice itself.

Huge spiders as dextrous and industrious as the famous lace makers of nearby Burano, spin a diaphanous scaffolding between the trees and appear to float in the air in the middle of their webs. The loveliest sight on Torcello,however, is the stark, pale cathedral,with its stunning 12-th and 13th century mosaic depicting the Last Judgement. Torcello is to my mind the most interesting of the lagoon islands, but others have their attractions. Murano, to the west, has supported since the 13th- century a gifted community of glassblowers.

TORCELLO

It already existed since the times of the Romans: it has been called Turricellum because at the ring of walls and tower that surrounded her in Latin language Turricellum means "small tower". Between the VII and the IX century the island had period of prosperity, becoming on important administrative centre of the islands of the lagoon and site of the bishop - site that was Transferred in 638.

Important proofs of such superb religious architecture remains the CATHEDRAL dedicated to OUR LADY, the virgin Mary received into heaven: built in 639 from Isaccio, the exarch from Ravenna, the Cathedral is considered the oldest document of the venetian history.

The pavement, made of polychrome inlays, the wonderful mosaic decorations that cover the walls, and the paintings of the venetian - Byzantine school (history of the Christ apotheosis and the Lost Judgement of the XII-XIII century).

It is the ancient mosaic of on the lagoon: the making is venetian, the iconography Byzantine, it represents four angels that support a clipeus (the metallic shield of the ancient Romans) this clipeus contains the mystic lamp.