San Lazzaro degli Armenians
Thu. i nd. 15.00-17.00. Access via vaporetto # 10 z Rim degli Schiavoni (to have time on the island, best to leave before 15.00).
You won't find an ethnic minority in Venice, which would have a longer tradition than the Armenians. They were here at the end of the 13th century and for approx. 500 they maintained their church on Calle degli Armeni for years (right next to Piazza San Marco). Today there are much fewer of them, and the most visible sign of their presence is the Armenian island of San Lazzaro degli Armeni near Lido. The onion-shaped top of the belfry is visible from the city, which belongs to a Roman Catholic monastery of the Armenian rite, founded here in the year 1717 by Manuga di Piętro, known as Mekhitar ("Comforter”). The name of the church comes from here, that the island was once a leper colony (Lazarus is the patron saint of lepers).
Armenian monks have always been known as scientists and polyglots, therefore, one of the most interesting places on the island is the monastic museum of valuable manuscripts and books (the oldest books come from the 5th century). It is also worth paying attention to the painting on the vault by Tiepolo and the hall, where Byron lived during his work on the English-Armenian dictionary. The tour ends in computerized printed matter, which is the focal point of the company which has been operating here continuously for a year 1789 language publishing. When leaving, you should either leave a donation, or buy a publication from a local publishing house (Old engravings and maps of Venice are cheap and interesting).
Lido and the southern part of the lagoon
For about eight centuries, the loud 'Venetian wedding to the sea was held on the Lido”, during which the doge was leaving for Porto di Lido, where he was throwing a gold ring into the sea, then he went ashore and attended the Holy Mass in San Nicolo al Lido. Lido was a strip of land untouched by civilization until the middle of the. XIX century, when in thirty years it became the most elegant bathing beach in Italy. Even though today it is not so exquisite, as in period, when Thomas Mann wrote his Death in Venice, there is even less space on the beaches than before.
If you don't live in one of the luxury seaside hotels and don't want to pay a ridiculously high protection fee for a daily beach basket rental, you will not get the privilege of enjoying the best stretches of the sandy coast. Publicly available, so uncleaned beaches, are located on the northern and southern tip of the island, but the water is dirty there and it's not worth risking a bath.
At the end of August and the beginning of September, the Palazzo del Cinema hosts a film festival, apart from which nothing invites you to visit the Lido, unless you are a gambler and want to try your luck in a casino open in summer (admission only for smartly dressed).
FROM LIDO TO PELLESTR1NA
There are two ways to get to Chioggia via the lagoon: a ship from Riva degli Schiavoni runs there in July and August, and all year round by bus from Gran Viale Santa Maria Elizabetta (at Lido). The latter goes to Alberoni, takes the ferry to Pellestrina (the journey to the other side continues 5 min.), runs the entire length of the island (10 km), and at its southern end it unloads passengers, who board the ship to Chioggia (boat driving – 25 min.). All in all, the cruise from Venice continues 2 time., and access by bus 80 min., i, tell the truth, this time can be spent more profitably.
Located on Fr. 5 km from the start of the bus route, the fishing village of Malamocco is on the site of the settlement, which in the eighth century was the capital of the confederation of lagoon villages. In the year 810 the city was captured by the son of Charlemagne, Pepin, and one of the most important battles in the history of Venice took place here. On the way to the islands, where Venice lies today, Pepin's fleet got stuck in the shallows, then it was attacked and decimated. After the battle, the capital was moved to the safer area of Rivoalto (today's Rialto), and in the year 1107 the former city of Malamocco was flooded by high tide. When sailing from Pellestrina Cimitero to Chioggia, you will get the best view of the last great work of the Republic, powerful, long on 4 km, and wide at the base on 14 m, stone wall from Istria. It was built, to protect Venice from excessive sea tides, and fulfilled its function perfectly from the moment it was finished in the year 1782 until the great flood of the year 1966.
CHIOGGIA
In the year 1379 Chioggia has been the scene of Venice's most serious threat since Pepin's invasion. After a bloody battle, the Genoese occupied the city, a long one, lasting until Genoa's surrender in June 1380 the positional warfare almost completely wrecked medieval Chioggia. The next invader, whose fleet managed to break into the Venetian Lagoon, there was only Napoleon.
Contemporary Chioggia is the second largest (around Venice) a city on the Lagoon and one of the busiest fishing ports in Italy. It is not one of the most beautiful cities, and everything, which is worth visiting, can be seen during an hour's walk on the main street, Course of the People. The biggest attraction is the fish market (wt.-sb. morning) Oraz Cathedral, which is Longheny's first major work and has good, albeit gloomy, 18th century paintings.
Buses to the local depart from the cathedral, much less elegant than the Venetian Lido, Sottomarina beach. It was left in a slightly more natural state, in addition, after a bath you can go to the Corso and eat fresh, cheaper and usually better than what's available in Venice, seafood dish.
The fastest means of transport to Venice is by bus, which leaves in front of the Duomo and Sottomarina on Piazzale Roma, but the ride is not very pleasant, costs more than a trip through the lagoon and only lasts 20 minutes less.