San Giovanni, built towards the end of the
seventeenth century, is the only villa on Torcello
and is surrounded by an enormous garden. The property takes its name
from the Romanesque church of San Giovanni,
some of whose ruins have been restored by the International Save Venice
Fund and which can still be admired in the garden.
The villa was completely restored a few years ago and it is beautifully
furnished with antiques. The swimming pool is on a small hill
overlooking the garden.
From Torcello it is possible to visit either by
vaporetto or by water taxi the islands of the Venetian
lagoon, including Burano, which
is famous for its lace, and Murano, which is famous
for its glass. The centre of Venice can also be
reached easily by vaporetto. The vaporetto stop is only a five-minute
walk from the villa.
HistoryTorcello is the real precursor of Venice.
Settled between the fifth and
seventh centuries, it became the most prosperous of the early lagoon
communities with its own palaces and churches, shipyards and docks, its
own nobility and laws. The growth of Venice brought
its demise and its
current population is now about 100 people. It is probably most famous
today for the Locanda Cipriani, one of the
gastronomic institutions of
the Veneto.