Today it is hard to believe, but from the 5th to the 11th centuries Torcello was the most densely populated island in the Venetian Lagoon. Its favorable location helped it prosper and conduct successful trade with Constantinople. However, in the 12th century the harbor of Torcello silted up and turned into a foul-smelling swamp. Maritime trade died down, and the residents fled from malaria to other islands. Today no more than a hundred locals 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. It is home to the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, considered one of the oldest in Venice. If the inscription preserved on one of the walls of the basilica is to be believed, it was founded by Exarch Isaac from Ravenna as early as the distant year 639!
However, as you probably understand, this church has undergone significant changes since those times. Chronicles recorded two major reconstructions of the building, which took place in 864-867 and 1008. It is believed that since then neither the external appearance nor the interior layout of the cathedral changed much right up to the present day.
We strongly recommend that you visit the island of Torcello and the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta in order to admire this unique church, the baptistery, the bell tower, and the grand ensemble of Byzantine mosaics - one of the finest in northern Italy.
