Contacts
A journey through silence, gardens and spirituality
When Venice becomes more intimate and rarefied, it reveals its hidden side through the smaller islands of the lagoon.
Timeless places, reachable only by water, where the sound of engines fades into the rustling of reeds, the calls of lagoon birds and the slow rhythm of nature.
🍇 Sant’Erasmo, known as the “vegetable garden of Venice”, is the largest island in the lagoon after Venice itself. Here, fruit and vegetables have been cultivated since the Middle Ages, including the famous Violet Artichoke of Sant’Erasmo, a Slow Food presidium. The island is perfect for a walk or a bike ride among cultivated fields, vineyards and farmhouses, with the chance to taste local produce directly from the growers. A curiosity: every May, Sant’Erasmo hosts the Artichoke Festival, featuring tastings and local stalls.
🌿 San Francesco del Deserto is a true spiritual oasis. Saint Francis of Assisi arrived here in 1220 on his return from the Holy Land and was so struck by the place that he founded a hermitage. Still inhabited by a small community of Franciscan friars, the island can only be visited through free guided tours (by reservation), leading visitors through silent cloisters, centuries-old cypress trees and an atmosphere of profound peace. A curiosity: the island is not served by regular public transport and can only be reached by water taxi or private boat—making it feel like a hidden sanctuary.
⚰️ San Michele, also known as the island of the dead, has been Venice’s monumental cemetery since 1807. Along its orderly, tree-lined paths rest famous figures such as Igor Stravinsky, Ezra Pound and Joseph Brodsky. The tombs themselves are often works of art, telling centuries of stories of families, faith and cultures. Curiosity: the island was turned into a cemetery by order of Napoleon, who banned burials within the city for health reasons.
But that’s not all. Other lesser-known islands are also worth discovering:
•Mazzorbo, connected to Burano by a pedestrian bridge, is a peaceful island of gardens, vineyards and pastel-coloured houses. It is home to Venissa, a winery producing a rare golden wine from the native Dorona grape.
•Torcello, one of the oldest inhabited islands in the lagoon, is home to the stunning Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, with its 11th-century Byzantine mosaics, among the finest in Europe.
•La Certosa, today a green oasis for nature lovers and boating enthusiasts, was once home to Carthusian monks and has recently been redeveloped into an urban park, a marina and walking paths immersed in nature.
From our hotel on the Lido of Venice, you can easily set off to discover these hidden gems: ACTV connections or private boat tours will take you in just a few minutes to authentic, rejuvenating experiences far from the crowds.
Because Venice is not only the city of crowded streets, but also a secret, green and silent Venice, to be discovered one island at a time, with an open heart and a curious soul.
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