Torcello

Torcello tōrchĕlˈlō [key], village, on a small island of the same name in the Lagoon of Venice, NE Italy, NE of Venice. A prosperous town until the early Middle Ages, it has a Byzantine cathedral (founded 639; rebuilt 867 and 1008) that is decorated with fine Byzantine mosaics (12th–13th cent.). Also of note is the Romanesque Church of Santa Fosca (late 11th cent.). Torcello is famous for its lace.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Italian Political Geography