Today it is hard to believe, but from the V to the XI centuries Torcello was the most densely populated island in the Venetian Lagoon. Its advantageous location helped it prosper and conduct successful trade with Constantinople. However, in the XII century the harbor of Torcello silted up and turned into a foul-smelling swamp. Maritime trade died down, and the inhabitants fled from malaria to other islands. Today no more than a hundred local residents live here, and tourists usually end up on Torcello by chance - stopping by on the way from its more famous neighbor - the island of Burano.
However, there is at least one reason to visit this quiet island. The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta is located here and is considered one of the oldest in Venice. If the inscription preserved on one of the basilica's walls is to be believed, it was founded by the exarch of Ravenna, Isaac, back in the distant 639!
However, as you must understand, this church has undergone significant changes since those times. Chronicles recorded two major reconstructions of the building, dating to 864-867 and 1008. It is believed that since then neither the exterior appearance nor the interior layout of the cathedral has changed much right up to our time.
We strongly recommend that you visit the island of Torcello and the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta in order to admire this unique church, baptistery, bell tower, and the grand ensemble of Byzantine mosaics - one of the finest in northern Italy.
