This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)

The small island of San Lazzaro degli Armeni is found in the Venice lagoon and covers over 8.370 square yards. It one of the first centres of Armenian culture in the world, entirely occupied by a monastery which is the headquarter of the Mekhitarist order.
On the island, there is the church dedicated to Saint Lazarus and a Renaissance arcaded cloister, linked to the monastery. Inside, it is possible to admire a beautiful pomegranate tree, and the Armenian national tree – a splendid specimen of Araucaria Araucana.
At the centre of this cloister, there is a well, protected by the shade of an iron gazebo on which an ancient wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) gloriously climbs. In addition to the monastery and its cloister, there is also a picture gallery, an art museum and a late XVIII century printshop. In the latter, there are several Egyptian, Oriental and Roman archaeological finds, as well as a rich collection of Armenian manuscripts.

The rich library houses many works of art by Palma il Giovane and Ricci, as well as a beautiful fresco by Tiepolo. The northern part of the island is home to a place inspired by the secret gardens of the Far East, with rows of pine trees and several varieties of roses (some of them are very rare) – the Armenian monks have cultivated those flowers for centuries.
A centuries-old technique is still used to capture the rose fragrance in the Vartanush: the jam made with rose petals which are traditionally picked at sunrise.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)