Explore the Islands of Venice

This image is the oldest prospective view of the Venice lagoon, published in 1528 in a book that will become known as "Isolario" and opens our journey between earth and water through time, to know Venice and its islands.

[Rari V. 111, B. Bordon, Libro nel qual si ragiona de tutte l'isole del mondo..., [Vinegia, Zoppino] 1528; ff. 29v-30r "Map of Venice". On concession of the MiBACT - National Marciana Library. Prohibition of copy.]

Just two hundred metres from the Lido, an island with a terracotta perimeter wall can be seen emerging from the lagoon: this is Lazzaretto Vecchio.

Over the main entrance to the old hospital on Lazzaretto Vecchio (“Tezon vecchio”), there is a relief with the patron saints Sebastian, Mark and Rocco, surmounted by the lion of St. Mark (16th century), a clear symbol of the hospital’s control by the Most Serene Republic.

Designated by the Venetian Republic as a place of care for plague victims in 1423, it later became known as the Lazzaretto Vecchio, to distinguish it from the other Lazzaretto, established in 1468 near the port of Murano.

Having already belonged to the Hermits of St. Augustine, the island was enhanced in 1249 by a church dedicated to St. Mary of Nazareth, perhaps because pilgrims returning from the Holy Land gathered there. The remains of the cloister and well head can be seen in the picture. Already from the second half of the 16th century, these buildings were used to house crews and militias arriving from the Levant for preventive quarantine.

Changed from St. Mary of Nazareth to Nazaretum to Lazzaretto, probably due to assonance or because of the nearby island settlement of San Lazzaro, this name became used for centuries throughout the West to indicate a place for the quarantine of people and goods with suspected infections.

From the second half of the 16th century until the mid-19th century, the buildings were also used for the quarantine and disinfection of goods, as seen from some inscriptions still visible on the internal walls. The island was then used as a military storage area until 1965.

The lagoon seen from Lazzaretto Vecchio. Today, the island is the focus of a development project and a series of archaeological surveys have been conducted to reconstruct its long and complex past.

San Servolo: insanity. An island in the centre of the lagoon, with a view of the San Marco Basin: from a place of worship to a place of refuge for the mentally ill until 1978.

The first Benedictine settlement took place in around 800 AD, when monks fleeing from the Franks took refuge on this island. Subsequently, Benedictine nuns remained there until the 17th century.

From 1725 to 1978, the island assumed the role of a hospital for the mentally ill. The island is now a centre for cultural and scientific activities of international renown.

Although commissioned to Andrea Palladio, he did not see it finished: it was completed on his behalf by Antonio da Ponte in 1580, in accordance with the original design.

The Basilica of the Redeemer is a prime example of Renaissance architecture, with Palladio’s design inspired by classic temples and a whitewashed interior that gives it depth and grandeur.

San Giorgio Maggiore. The Basilica and monastery complex of the island of San Giorgio Maggiore are still used by a monastic community.

The Basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore seen from Giudecca island. One of the most beautiful views of Venice can be seen from the bell tower of the Basilica, which dates back to 1791.

Unlike all the other churches in Venice, the Basilica is the only one with a statue of a saint on top of its dome: all the others have a cross.

Palladio’s design for the Basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore was later realised by the architects Scamozzi and Sorella, who completed it in 1610, faithfully following the Vicenza architect’s drawings.

Like a painter’s palette, the Basilica has provided many artists with an opportunity to express themselves: it houses works by painters such as Jacopo and Domenico Tintoretto, Sebastiano Ricci, Palma the Younger, Vittore Carpaccio and others.

The wooden choir stalls behind the high altar depict the story of St. Benedict, carved in 1595 by the Flemish sculptor Albert Van Den Brulle, together with Gasparo Gatti.

Burano: colour. The name Burano derives from “Porta Boreana”, a name given to the island because of its location in the northeast, the direction from which the bora wind blows.

There is a legend regarding the island’s multi-coloured character: apparently, the fishermen painted their homes so that they could recognise them from a distance when returning from long fishing trips.

The homes on the island are mostly small, square houses with two or three storeys. Their bright colours once served to mark the property boundaries.