Monasteri veneziani: da Castello a Torcello al Lido

Four examples of monasteries in the area of the Duchy of Venice, built between the 9th and 11th centuries, are presented. The female monasteries of San Zaccaria and San Lorenzo di Castello, founded in the 9th century, are situated in the discontinuous, mainly agricultural land of the early Middle Ages and would be absorbed into the town that had sprung up over the course of the 12th century. Sources indicate donations and liturgical furnishing works carried out in the 9th century. San Giovanni Evangelista di Torcello (one of the main centres of the Duchy) is a female Benedictine monastery (like the previous ones) which already existed at the beginning of the 11th century when through the intervention of the Orseolo family the body of Santa Barbara was placed there. Finally, San Nicolò di Lido, a male Benedictine monastery, is considered. It was built during the second half of the 11th century at the Lido, with the function of protecting port access to the lagoon, where the relic of Saint Nicholas of Myra, stolen by the Venetians during the crusade, is situated. In the light of the sources and finds from archaeological excavations, architectural aspects and furnishings are appraised.