The Lido of Venice is a narrow, 11km long strip of land, its 18th century Murazzi fortress making it, nevertheless, easy to spot from the sea. Lido became a popular holiday destination in the late 19th century, hence the abundance of elegant liberty style edifices. The writer Thomas Mann was particularly enamored by the island and set his best selling Death in Venice here. Today, Lido is famous for its luxury hotels, Casino and the Venice Film Festival, held each September in the island's Palazzo del Cinema. In the district of San Nicolò, the church (also named after the patron Saint of sailors), conserves a bell, the chimes of which are said to have announced the Holy League's victory over the Ottoman forces in the 1571 battle of Lepanto.
From Lido we head to the island of Giudecca, lying in the waters just south of Venice. This island, once nicknamed Spinalonga or Long Thorn due to its shape similar to that of a fish bone, is comprised of eight little islets connected by a series of bridges. Giudecca is dominated by Andrea Palladio's impressive Church of the Redentore, constructed as votive church in the hope of ridding Venice of the plague which decimated the population in the second half of the 16th century. Close by, there is another house of worship, the Church delle Zitelle which, in addition to its traditional religious function, also serves as modern conference center. The austere facade of the Church of Sant'Eufemia provides a stark contrast with the building's highly decorative interiors.
Built in a style which recalls Venice's larger and better known St Mark's Square, the imposing Basilica di San Giorgio on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, is again work of the Padua-born architect Andrea Palladio, as is the entire Benedictine monastic complex, from the 75m high bell tower of which a splendid view of Venice and the lagoon can be seen.
Close by, to the north east of Venice, lies Murano, one of the lagoon's best known islands, famous for its centuries old glass blowing tradition. For anybody interested in learning more about this ancient art, the island's Glass Museum, housed in the 17th century Palazzo Giustinian, is the perfect place where to start and observe invaluable artworks such as the Coppa Barovier, a cup made from blue glass, dating all the way back to the 1400's. Murano's contemporary glassware, on display in the island's shops and artists' studios, is equally worthy of admiration. Before departing, glass souvenir in hand, we make a quick visit to the island's Church of Santi Maria e Donato, built in pure Venetian Byzantine style.
Traveling north, past a number of minor islets accessible only by private boat, we reach Burano, island which boasts an ancient seafaring tradition and characteristic little houses, painted in amazingly bright shades of yellow, purple, red and green. It was here, in the 16th century, that the art of lace making developed, resulting in schools and workshops which are still active to this very day. Lining Via Galuppi, the island's principal road, there are any number of craft shops where to purchase items of precious lace work. Piazza Galuppi is home both to the island's only house of worship, the Church of San Martino, and the Lace Museum.
This tour of the lagoon concludes with Torcello, an almost uninhabited island just north of Burano. Despite its population having dropped to well below a hundred, Torcello still conserves numerous important works of art, including the Ponte dei Diavolo, the Trono di Attila in Piazza Torcello and the Basilica and oratory of Santa Maria Assunta, rich in colorful marble and mosaics.
