Mazzorbo

Mazzorbo
The densely populated Burano is connected to Mazzorbo by a wooden bridge.
Waters	Venice lagoon
Geographical location	45 ° 29 '17 "  N , 12 ° 24' 34"  E Coordinates: 45 ° 29 '17 "  N , 12 ° 24' 34"  E
length	945 m
width	320 m
surface	22.7 ha
Highest elevation	2  m
Residents	316 (2010) 1392 inhabitants / km²
Residential buildings on the Santo Spirito Canal

Mazzorbo is an island in the Venice lagoon , just over 50 meters west of the island of Burano (or its sub-island of San Mauro ). It is connected to this by a simple, 60 meter long wooden bridge. Coming from Venice you enter the Mazzorbo Canal ( Canale di Mazzorbo , which is 22 meters wide in its westernmost part, but widens further east from 55 to 75 meters), which separates Mazzorbo from the larger island of Mazzorbetto in the north . There is no bridge connection to Mazzorbetto. The westernmost part of Mazzorbo is separated from the main part of the island by a 12 to 20 meter wide waterway, but connected to it by two bridges. Mazzorbo can be reached from Venice by public transport (LN line). Today's residents work partly in Burano (tourism) and partly commute to Murano or Venice. As on the other lagoon islands of San Erasmo or Vignole , vegetables are grown on Mazzorbo and a little bit of viticulture is practiced.

Mazzorbo is traditionally one of the six sestieri of Burano (the remaining five are on the island of Burano itself). The island officially has an area of ​​52 hectares , more precisely 517,945 square meters. Satellite image measurements, however, only show a length of 945 meters and a maximum width of 320 meters, with an area of ​​barely more than 20 hectares. Including the neighboring island of Mazzorbetto, the official area value would be plausible. For the 2001 census, 364 permanent residents were recorded, as well as 10 on Mazzorbetto. Currently (June 4, 2010) there are still 329 living on the island, in 2011 there were only 316.

history

Depiction of “Mazorbo” in the Isolario di Benedetto Bordone nel qual si ragiona di tutte l'isole del mondo, con li lor nomi antichi & moderni, historie, favole, & modi del loro vivere , Venice 1528

The name Mazzorbo is derived from the Latin Maiurbium, which means 'larger city' and indicates the importance of this island in the past. This possibly extends to the 5th century BC. BC, in which fragments of Attic pottery could be dated. Remains of palisades and fragments of terra sigillata from the second and third centuries at the church of S. Michele Arcangelo show human inhabitants, but no continuous settlement can be proven. Above all, the island was a refuge for Altinum residents .

When the water level rose in the 6th century - remnants of an attempt to defend the north-western shore line from the rising sea level were found from late antiquity or the early Middle Ages - the first bank fortifications were built and the ground level of the houses was raised. However, these embankments did not begin to increase until the beginning of the 7th century. At the end of the 8th century the sea level began to rise again, which in turn was followed by construction and safety measures. They peaked in the 11th century when the ancient Malamocco was flooded.

In addition to some houses from the 16th and 17th centuries, the church of Santa Caterina from the 14th century is worth mentioning, in whose campanile hangs the oldest bell in the lagoon (1318).

Web links

Commons : Mazzorbo  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Venice islands: All the islands of Venice by area ( Memento of March 24, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
2. ↑ Istat
3. ^ Ernesto Canal : Archeologia della laguna di Venezia, 1960–2010 , Cierre, 2015, p. 290 f.