Isola di San Clemente (San Clemente Island) is a small island in the Venetian Lagoon in Italy. For centuries it housed a monastic settlement, and more recently an asylum. It is now the site of a luxury hotel.

Location

San Clemente Island lies in the Venetian Lagoon between

Giudecca Giudecca (; vec, Zueca) is an island in the Venetian Lagoon, in northern Italy. It is part of the '' sestiere'' of Dorsoduro and is a locality of the ''comune'' of Venice. Geography Giudecca lies immediately south of the central islands of Ve ...

and the

Lido Lido may refer to: Geography Africa * Lido, a district in the city of Fez, Morocco Asia * Lido, an area in Chaoyang District, Beijing * Lido, a cinema theater in Siam Square shopping area in Bangkok * Lido City, a resort in West Java owned by MN ...

. The island covers 6 hectares (15 acres), of which 1.34 is edified.

History

The island was first settled in 1131, when Venetian merchant Pietro Gattilesso funded the construction of the church of San Clemente and a hospice for pilgrims and soldiers destined for the Holy Land. The name is dedicated to Pope Clement I, who died as a martyr according to legend and who is patron of seamen. The complex was run by Augustine canons, while the entire island was under the jurisdiction of the

patriarch of Grado This is a list of the Patriarchs of Grado (north-eastern Italy).
''

Enrico Dandolo Enrico Dandolo (anglicised as Henry Dandolo and Latinized as Henricus Dandulus; c. 1107 – May/June 1205) was the Doge of Venice from 1192 until his death. He is remembered for his avowed piety, longevity, and shrewdness, and is known for his r ...

. In 1288 the relics of Saint Anianus - the first successors of St. Mark as Patriarch of Alexandria - were brought to the San Clemente church. After experiencing a slow decline in the course of the 14th century, San Clemente gained fresh life in 1432, when

Pope Eugene IV Pope Eugene IV ( la, Eugenius IV; it, Eugenio IV; 1383 – 23 February 1447), born Gabriele Condulmer, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 3 March 1431 to his death in February 1447. Condulmer was a Venetian, and ...

moved the order of Lateran canons - also known as the Charity (Carità) - to the island. Thanks to donations provided by wealthy Venetian families, the canons began work on the restoration of the church and enlargement of the monastery. In 1643, to fulfil a vow made during the plague epidemic that struck the city in 1630, Venetians funded the building of a new chapel, modelled on the

Holy House of Loreto The Basilica della Santa Casa ( en, Basilica of the Holy House) is a Marian shrine in Loreto, in the Marches, Italy. The basilica is known for enshrining the house in which the Blessed Virgin Mary is believed by some Catholics to have lived. Pio ...

, inside the San Clemente church. This “church in a church” is still a main feature of the construction. Camaldolese Hermits of Monte Corona purchased the island in 1645. The Venetian nobility provided them with financial assistance to restore the church and monastery, and expand the island to add additional houses to the complex. In 1652 the Morosini family sponsored the restoration of the church façade by

Andrea Cominelli Andrea Cominelli was an Italian stonemason, sculptor and architect, who was active in the Republic of Venice during the second half of the 17th century. Early years Little is known of Cominelli's youth. He was probably born in Venice in the fir ...

, in order to pay tribute to the family's members Francesco and Tommaso, who died in the

War of Candia War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular ...

. The fall of the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...

in 1797 impacted San Clemente. Also, owing to the suppression of religious orders by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

, in 1810 the Camaldolese monks left the island, which became a military garrison. From 1844 the island housed a mental hospital, illustrating the 'confinement of the mad' and their exclusion from society common to the period. This female asylum housed women of Venice who were considered insane, earning a reputation amongst Venetians who in time equated 'going to San Clemente' with going mad, much in the way 'Bedlam' has been referred to within England. According to historian Andrew Scull, Mussolini sent his first wife Ida Dalser to San Clemente, effectively incarcerating her. The asylum was abandoned in 1992 before being bought and developed into the hotel complex it houses today.

Gateway to Venice

Between the 15th and 16th centuries, San Clemente became known as the “gateway to Venice”. It became standard practice to take the Bucentaur (Bucintoro), the

Doge A doge ( , ; plural dogi or doges) was an elected lord and head of state in several Italian city-states, notably Venice and Genoa, during the medieval and renaissance periods. Such states are referred to as " crowned republics". Etymology The ...

's ceremonial barge, to the island to meet distinguished visitors. On the return journey to the Grand Canal, the guests were entertained by a variety of spectacles and performances. Writing of Venice in 1493, Marino Sanudo described the Bucentaur as “a marvel, in which the Prince and Senate go to any great lord visiting the city; they go to San Clemente or elsewhere, depending on the direction from which the visitor is coming”.

Hotel

The buildings on the private island were renovated in 2003 and converted into a luxury hotel. In September 2013 it was announced that a subsidiary of the Permak construction group of Turkey had bought the property. Permak launched further renovations between 2013 and 2014, while retaining the historic character. The property is currently managed by

Kempinski Kempinski Hotels S.A., commonly known as Kempinski, is a luxury hotel management company headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Founded in Berlin in 1897 as the ''Hotelbetriebs-Aktiengesellschaft'', the group currently operates 78 five-star ho ...

Group, which reopened the hotel as San Clemente Palace Kempinski in March 2016. The hotel has 190 rooms and suites, three restaurants and three bars, an outdoor swimming pool and a tennis court as well as a golf pitching course.

References

Sources

* Giovanna Cecconello, Carlo Giuliani, Michele Sgobba, ''San Clemente: progetto per un'isola'', CLUVA, 1980 * Martina Carraro, ''L'isola di San Clemente a Venezia. Storia, restauro e nuove funzioni,'' Carsa, 2003 * V. M. Coronelli, ''Isolario dell’Atlante Veneto'', Venezia, 1696-1698 {{DEFAULTSORT:San Clemente, Isola di Islands of the Venetian Lagoon Private islands of Italy