15°
cielo sereno
Between nature and history, a place of timeless charm.
San Nicolò is the northernmost area of the Lido of Venice: a coast about three kilometers long where, on foot or by bicycle, you can enjoy a unique natural oasis, which starts at the Port of San Nicolò and extends as far as the first beach resorts. If, walking, you turn your gaze towards the Lagoon, the view of Venice, Sant’Elena and the Certosa is truly magical.
THE PAST STILL PRESENT
The area takes its name from the ancient Church of San Nicolò, founded in the eleventh century and rebuilt in 1626. The Church, with a single nave, houses Corinthian columns and, above all, a totally unique floor mosaic.
The building is flanked by an even older Benedictine monastery and its splendid cloister. Today the Monastery houses a headquarters of the Global Campus of Human Rights.
IN THE SURROUNDINGS OF SAN NICOLÓ
Behind the Church is the Giovanni Nicelli Airport, formerly the Venice-San Nicolò Airport, built in 1915, used during the War and for private flights and now used for tourist flights, sports travel and general aviation. It is considered the oldest civil airport in Italy.
From behind the airport you can continue into the pine forest, on foot or by bike. From here you get to the breakwater and a walk of about two kilometers will take you to the Lighthouse, at the most extreme point of the island. You can also opt for a day at the beach equipped with huts and parasols, or in the wildest area, San Nicoletto, the beach of the Breakwater.
By contrast, if you continue south along the coast overlooking Venice, you will find the Jewish Cemetery, one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in Europe. It has a fascinating history: the Republic of Venice granted the Jews uncultivated land in 1386, which was disputed for a few years with the friars of the monastery, then used as a cemetery from 1389 until the first part of 1938 (the year of the enactment of racial laws). In 1999, significant restoration work began that restored the cemetery with its ancient decoration, and it can now be visited once again.
Throughout this area there are numerous hotels and on the seafront you can find several kiosks where you can stop for a quintessential aperitif: the spritz.
“We marry you, oh Sea. As a sign of real and perpetual dominion”
