Description of the attraction
San Michele is one of the islands of the Venetian lagoon, located in the immediate vicinity of the Venetian quarter of Cannaregio. Together with the neighboring island of San Cristoforo della Pace, San Michele was once a favorite stopover for travelers and fishermen. Today, its biggest attraction is the Romanesque church of San Michele in Isola, built in 1469 by the architect Mauro Codussi, the first Renaissance church in Venice. It was built specifically for the religious order of the Camaldules. The building of the temple is entirely built of snow-white Istrian stone, which has acquired an ash-gray hue from time to time. Inside, the church consists of a central nave and two side chapels with valuable decorations. Near San Michele in Isola there is a monastery, which in the past was used as a prison for several years.
In 1807, it was decided to turn the islet of San Cristoforo into a cemetery. This decision was made by the administration of Napoleon, who then ruled in Venice and believed that burials within the city could cause epidemics. The architect Gian Antonio Selva worked on the project of the new cemetery. In 1836, the canal separating San Cristoforo and San Michele was covered with earth, and the resulting island was later called San Michele. And the cemetery is used to this day. Such celebrities as Igor Stravinsky, Joseph Brodsky, Sergey Diaghilev and others are buried on it. Interestingly, in the past, the coffin with the body of the deceased was brought to the island on a special funeral gondola.
Another attraction of San Michele is the Cappella Emiliana chapel, built in 1530. Opposite it, you can see the 15th century cloister - a covered gallery through which the entrance to the cemetery is.
