The most ancient continuously inhabited island in the Venetian lagoon, settled from the fifth century by refugees fleeing barbarian invasions of the mainland, and the lagoon's dominant settlement until the ninth century when the rise of Venice on the Rialto islands drew population away. Today Torcello is home to fewer than a dozen permanent residents, its former urban fabric reduced to a single canal, a handful of buildings, and extensive archaeological remains scattered among wild vegetation and agriculture. The island's artistic treasure is the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, founded in 639 and rebuilt in 1008, whose interior west wall is covered by a monumental Last Judgement mosaic of the twelfth to thirteenth century -- one of the finest surviving Byzantine-influenced mosaic programmes in Italy. The apse mosaic of the Virgin and Child against a plain gold ground, dating from the same period, achieves extraordinary emotional power through the simplicity of the isolated figure against the glowing background. Adjacent to the cathedral, the circular Church of Santa Fosca, built in the eleventh century on a Byzantine Greek-cross plan with an external colonnaded portico, represents a pure example of Veneto-Byzantine architecture rarely found on the mainland. Between the two churches, the remains of the baptistery and archaeological fragments suggest the density of the former settlement. A stone chair in the campo, traditionally called Attila's Throne, is actually a medieval magistrate's seat. Torcello is reached by vaporetto Line 12 from Fondamente Nove via Murano and Burano, with the total journey taking approximately one hour. The island's extreme quiet -- broken only by birdsong and the lapping of lagoon water -- creates a contemplative atmosphere that makes the journey worthwhile even beyond the mosaics. A single upscale restaurant, Locanda Cipriani, has operated since 1935.

Type: Street

Address: Torcello Island, Venice, Italy, 30142