Torcello

Torcello Review

In their flight from barbarians 1,500 years ago, the first Venetians landed here, prospering even after many left to found the city of Venice. By the 10th century, Torcello had a population of 10,000 and was more powerful than Venice. From the 12th century on, the lagoon around the island began silting up, and a malarial swamp developed. As malaria took its toll, Torcello was gradually abandoned and its palaces and houses were dismantled, their stones used for building materials in Venice.

Santa Maria Assunta was built in the 11th century, and Torcello's wealth at the time is evident in the church's high-quality mosaics. The mosaics show the gradually increasing cultural independence of Venice from Byzantium. The magnificent late-12th-century mosaic of the Last Judgment shows the transition from the stiffer Byzantine style on the left to the more-fluid Venetian style on the right. The virgin in the main apse dates possibly from about 1185, and is of a distinctly Byzantine type, with her right hand pointing to the Christ child held with her left arm. The 12 apostles below her are possibly the oldest mosaics in the church and date from the early 12th century. The adjacent Santa Fosca church, built when the body of the saint arrived in 1011, is still used for religious services. The bell tower is undergoing renovation (completion date is unknown at this writing). It is not accessible to visitors. Isola di Torcello, 30012. 041/2960630. Santa Maria Assunta €5, audio guide €1. Basilica: Mar.-Oct., daily 10:30-6; Nov.-Feb., daily 10-5. Campanile: Mar.-Oct., daily 10:30-5:30; Nov.-Feb., daily 10-4:30. Last entry ½ hr before closing. Vaporetto: Vaporetto: Torcello.