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Sant’Erasmo (Saint Erasmus) is an island in the northern part of the Venetian lagoon, in the centre of the triangle made by Murano, Burano and Punta Sabbioni.
Originally lapped by the waters of the Adriatic Sea, the island is now completely surrounded by the lagoon – this happened following the construction of the north dam of the Lido of Venice and the appearance of Punta Sabbioni.

This island, one of the largest in Venice, has always been considered the city’s “vegetable garden” due to its agrarian-lagoon character. Some rare plants are cultivated like the violet artichoke, the lettuce, the Cavallino tomato, and the jujube.
Along the ditches in the brackish areas, there are several halophilic species often used to dress salads or prepare oil and vinegar preserves.

Among the places of interest on the island, there is the Maximilian tower, built between 1843 and 1844 by the Archduke Maximilian of Austria on the extreme southern tip of the emerged land; it’s a testament to the Austrian domination when the coast was heavily fortified with military outposts.

There is also an anti-aircraft battery of the Second World War, which was turned into a shelter for refugees right after the end of the conflict. Later, it became an agricultural warehouse and was eventually abandoned at the end of the 1990s. Its recovery, which took place in 2004, was part of the enhancement works on the island funded by the Municipality of Venice. It currently hosts art and photography exhibitions and cultural events.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)