"Torcello - A Breath of Fresh Air" Top 5 Page for this destination Torcello by calcaf38

Torcello Travel Guide: 54 reviews and 107 photos

Torcello - A Breath of Fresh Air - Torcello

With a current permanent population of 20, Torcello was the first Laguna Island to be settled by the Veneti. Old Torcello was an important trading post and salt producing center: by the year 900, it had a population of 10,000. Subsequently, Torcello turned intolerably swampy, and malaria compelled the inhabitants to re-settle in Burano, Murano, and Venice. Many buildings of old Torcello (such as its twelve parishes and sixteen cloisters) were disassembled and reconstructed elsewhere. This explains the almost bare island you see today. All the same, Torcello is a pleasant little side-note, a refreshing stop on a Laguna excursion, with noteworthy mosaic in the cathedral.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Historically significant and pleasantly green
Cons:Not all that much to see
In a nutshell:The ancestor of Venice

Last visit to Torcello: Oct 2009
Intro Updated Nov 21, 2009
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Reviews (5)

Attila's Throne Things to Do (4)

This rock seat in the main piazza is called "Attila's Throne," although it has no connection with the king of the Huns,... more travel advice

The Devil's Little Bridge Things to Do (4)

So recently renovated as to appear spanking new, the Pontecello del Diavolo is really nothing much. The little country... more travel advice

Walk from the Vaporetto stop to the Cathedral - Torcello

Walk from the Vaporetto stop to the... Things to Do (4)

The walk from the boat to the Cathedral takes 10 to 15 leisurely minutes. This is a fine short walk, especially... more travel advice

Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta - Torcello

Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta Things to Do (4)

The cathedral is one of the oldest structures in the region, originally built around 640 a.d. Inside the cathedral,... more travel advice

Transportation (1)
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Comments (2)

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Bwana_Brown Jan 2, 2010 at 4:50 PM

Torcello has quite an interesting history and, yes, that does look like quite a pleasant little walk to the old cathedral! Throw in a boat ride and this sounds like my kind of place! Happy New Year Oliver!
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Nemorino Nov 27, 2009 at 5:09 AM

Ironic that this once swampy and malaria-infested island is now a place to go for a breath of fresh air.