Sant'Erasmo is an island in the
Venetian Lagoon
The Venetian Lagoon (; ) is an enclosed bay of the Adriatic Sea, in northern Italy, in which the city of Venice is situated. Its name in the Italian and Venetian languages, ' (cognate of Latin ' ), has provided the English name for an enclosed, ...
lying north-east of the
Lido
Lido may refer to:
Geography
* Lido (Belgrade), a river beach on the Danube in Belgrade, Serbia
* Venice Lido, an 11-kilometre-long barrier island in the Venetian Lagoon, Venice, Italy
* Ruislip Lido, a reservoir and artificial beach in Ruisl ...
island and east of Venice, Italy.
History
The island was a
port
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...
attached to
Murano in the 8th century, but is now known for
market garden
A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. The diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically from under to s ...
ing. Ruined fortifications, including the so-called ''Torre Massimiliana'' (Tower of Maximilian), ring the isle. Forts existed in the island as early as the 16th century. After the fall of the
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...
, the
French built here a stronghold in 1811–1814. After Napoleon's defeat, the
Austrian Archduke Maximilian of Austria-Este had a tower built here in 1843–1844, and also found here refuge during a revolt. The tower has a polygonal base of 25 m and is surrounded by a ditch. On the upper floor up to 13 cannons could be housed. It was used by the Italian Army as late as World War I.
Today
An annual boat race takes place during the summer. Sant'Erasmo is also known for the
wader
245px, A flock of Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots
Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflats in order to foraging, ...
s on
sand banks in the lagoon surrounding it. The beach on the island's Southernmost point, the
Spiaggia del Bacan, is a popular summer destination with local Venetians. The island is accessed on
Actv waterbus line 13 (Fondamente Nove-
Murano-
Vignole-Lazzaretto Nuovo-Sant'Erasmo-
Treporti) and is also served by a night service.
Gallery
Venise église de San Erasmo.JPG, Church
Isola di Sant'Erasmo - Torre Massimiliana.JPG, Fort
Sant'Erasmo (island) Via delle Motte 45.458036, 12.407726.jpg, Brown and narrow canals of the island
Sant'Erasmo (island) Via delle Motte 45.455718, 12.402925.jpg, Artichoke plantations.
Sant'Erasmo (island) South end of the island.jpg, Beach, south end of the island of Sant'Erasmo.
See also
*
List of islands of Italy
This is a list of islands of Italy. There are nearly 450 islands in Italy, including islands in the Mediterranean Sea (including the marginal seas: Adriatic Sea, Ionian Sea, Libyan Sea, Ligurian Sea, Sea of Sardinia, Tyrrhenian Sea, and inland is ...
References
{{Authority control
Forts in Italy
Islands of the Venetian Lagoon