San Lazzaro degli Armeni
The
island of San Lazzaro degli Armeni
(Italian for "St. Lazarus of the Armenians")
is located in the Venetian Lagoon, within easy rowing distance of the
Lido di Venezia. It's named after the
patron saint of lepers, who were confined to the island from the 12th to
the 16th Centuries.
Since the early 1700s, San Lazzaro has been a sanctuary
and monastery for an Armenian religious order. Over the last 300 years,
the monks have enlarged the island, restored the lepers' church, and
built a monastery with a modern air-conditioned library and archive.
For more about the monastery (including visitor
information), read our illustrated two-page
San Lazzaro degli
Armeni article. In the meantime, here are two satellite images that
will introduce you to the island:
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Photo 1 shows
the island's location in the Venetian Lagoon. San Lazzaro is near
the bottom of the frame, just to the west of the Lido. Venice's
historic center is in the upper left; the No. 20 water bus or
vaporetto runs between San Zaccaria (just to the east of the
Piazza San Marco) and San Lazzarro degli Armini.
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Photo 2 is a
close-up of the island, with the vaporetto landing on the
left. As you can see, the island is quite small, and it's only a
short walk from the boat pier to the monastery.
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