Summary
Santa Fosca
The small church in Torcello is dedicated to Santa Fosca; the story took place in the early middle-ages, when Fosca, originally from the Middle-East, converted to Christianity along with her maid; after the baptism they were hunted down until they decided to face their trial; they were tortured, decapitated and their bodies thrown in the sea. A group of fishermen, moved by the death of such young girls, managed to fish out the bodies, and took them to modern Tripoli in Libya; the body arrived here in Torcello in the 10th century, when the church was built.
Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta
The Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta is the oldest religious building in the Venice area. Initially built in 639 A.D., the cathedral is a testimony to the meeting of Western and Eastern cultures and artistic styles. The gothic structure is Byzantine in style, as displayed by the splendid golden mosaics inside. The whole construction is centred around the figure of the Virgin Mary, who awaits surrounded by bright shimmering light those who enter into the initial darkness of the church. The slender tall belltower is still a crucial reference point for anyone in the lagoon.
