Torcello

Of all the possible destinations hidden among the shadows and shallows of the Lagoon, this one is the real treasure.

At first the Torcello stop looks unpromising, a concrete pier and a wilderness beyond. But take the only path along a jungly canal that was once a busy urban fondamenta, pass the solitary old ‘Devil’s bridge’, and you’ll finally arrive at a piazza that contains two of the most remarkable churches in all Italy, the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta and Santa Fosca, and very little else.

Torcello was the heir of ancient Altinum, and may have been settled by refugees from there as early as the 5th century. The big exodus to the island, however, came in 639.

According to the legend, the Altinese bishop, Paolo, was commanded in a vision to ascend Altinum's tallest tower. He saw certain stars rising over this lonely island, and led his people there to their new home, away from the barbaric Lombards who were making life just too expensive and too dangerous.