| Torcello is a quiet and meagrely populated island at the northern end of the Venetian Lagoon. It is considered the oldest populated island of Venice, and once held the largest population of the Republic of Venice. It holds only 100 inhabitants, but around the 5th century it had a great importance: it reached a population of 20,000 people. The island offers interesting visits such as the Church of Santa Maria Assunta and the Church of Santa Fosca. The former splendour of Torcello’s numerous palazzi, its twelve parishes and its sixteen cloisters have almost disappeared since the Venetians recycled the useful building material. The only remaining medieval buildings form an ensemble of four edifices. Torcello is also home to a Devil's Bridge, known as the “Ponte del Diavolo” or alternatively the “Pontecello del Diavolo” (devil's little bridge). |
