Torcello, a small island at the north of Venice, was the place of the first successful settlement of population in the Venetian lagoon.
From being a shelter to those fleeing the barbarians’ invasion of the mainland after the fall of the Roman empire, it became an important political and trading center.
In 639 C.E., due to its growing importance and the fleeing from Altino, the Eastern Roman Empire ordered the construction of the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta which kept its importance until 1818.
Still existing, the cathedral is an example of Venetian-Byzantine architecture. One of the most ancient religious edifices in the Veneto, it hosts the earliest mosaics in the area of Venice. Today, Torcello counts only 10 permanent inhabitants.
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