The Lost Islands of Venice Discovered on Lucky 13 September 2012 AD

The Venetian lagoon has a must-see island, secret little Mazzorbo, which is connected by an old, wooden footbridge to Burano—the prosperous island of lace-makers, artisans, marvelous painted cottages, and the ancient crooked bell tower—and neighbors Torcello, where the renowned basilica of Santa Maria Assunta and the historic Throne of Attila can be found. Mazzorbo is best known for Venissa, the ancient estate encircled by medieval walls, which has been restored the Bisol family. The Bisols are beloved wine-makers with 125 hectares of vineyards. They have made the best prosecco served on the mainland for 21 generations and created wine for Napoleon. Gianluca Bisol, the current doyen of the Venissa estate, has turned the charming ex-manor house into a resort with six fabulous suites and an intimate restaurant, also called Venissa. It is run by Bellunese chef Paola Budel, who creates a new menu daily—delicate risotto with tiny scallops, soft-shell crabs in season, fish from the Adriatic, and baby artichokes, beets, peas, and sweet tomatoes, all salty with the lagoon's water. The wonderful house white wine is a perfect complement to every dish Mazzorbo

Of all the islands in the lagoon, San Francesco del Deserto (Saint Francis in the Desert) is the easiest to recognize from a distance: Cypresses around the old monastery form a distinctive spiky silhouette. It is not, like the other islands on my tour, abandoned, though its only year-round inhabitants are a half-dozen monks.o Lost Treasure Islands