San Francesco del Deserto

San Francesco del Deserto[1] is an island in the Venetian Lagoon in Véneto, Italy, with a surface of some 4 ha. It is located between Sant'Erasmo and Burano. It houses a minorites convent.

San Francesco del Deserto
San Francesco del Deserto
San Francesco del Deserto
Geography
Coordinates45.4731°N 12.4169°E / 45.4731; 12.4169
Adjacent bodies of waterVenetian Lagoon
Administration
RegionVeneto
ProvinceProvince of Venice

History

The island was frequented since Roman times. In 1220, St. Francis landed here at his return from the Holy Land during the Fifth Crusade, and founded a hermitage here. After his death, the island was given to the Minorites by the Venetian patrician Jacopo Michiel, a relative of the patriarch of Grado, Angelo Barozzi, to found a convent.

During the Austrian rule of Venice, the island, abandoned due to its unhealthy characteristics, was used as a powder depot. In 1858 it was donated to the diocese of Venice, who allowed the friars to refound a convent here.

References

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