Visit Torcello in Houseboat
Boat itineraries in the Venice lagoon
A Houseboat journey is ideal for all the people wishing to go away from the everyday frenzy with family and friends. The perfect destination for those who enjoy tranquility is undoubtedly Torcello: not so far away from Venice, it is a peaceful island with important historical and archaeological evidence.
What to see
Even if it is not as famous and inhabited as the other islands of the Venetian Lagoon, such as Burano and Murano, Torcello represents an important reality attracting more and more tourists from year to year. The peace and silence that you can feel on the island seem almost unreal if compared to Venice, which is packed all year round. Once you arrive there with your Houseboat, you will immediately notice how unique this place is: inhabited by more or less twenty people, you will see only some vegetable gardens, some hotels and an inn.
Church of Santa Maria Assunta
However, Torcello hosts also very important historical evidence, which are vital in the story of the Venetian Lagoon. First of all the Church of Santa Maria Assunta: dated 639 A.D., it is the oldest building in the Lagoon and is a real pearl of the Venetian-Byzantine style. With the Church of Santa Fosca it represents a precious testament of the glorious past of the island, that before the rise of Venice, was an essential meeting point in the lagoon life. Inside the Church there are precious polychrome marbles and magnificent mosaics, which can be considered among the most important ones in the Veneto area. The tenacity and resistance of the few inhabitants of the island meant that the structure of the church and its mosaics were not lost over time. As a matter of fact, Venice assumed over the centuries an increasingly predominant role in the economy of the territory, causing, along with the swamping of the island, also its progressive depopulation.
Torcello is so a treasure to be protected: in addition to the Church, it hosts also other attractions. The Torcello Museum is a fundamental point of interest for those who would like to deepen the history of the island and admire medieval and modern works. Attila’s Throne, dating back to the 5th Century, is connected to the legendary king of the Huns. Despite the name, there are no traces of the arrival of the barbarians to the island, but it was rather used as chair by the governor during the meetings of the council. Finally, the Devil’s Bridge, linked to a bizarre legend as well. It is said that this bridge was built in only one night by the devil during the Austrian invasion and for this reason it remained unfinished. This is just one of the many anecdotes and mysteries related to the island, which make it extremely fascinating and definitely worth a visit!
