Giudecca Island

Giudecca Island is situated in southern part of Venice.

Giudecca’s name has uncertain origins. The easiest explanation refers to the settlement of a Jewish community: two synagogues existed, and a stone with a Jewish inscription in the area near the Zitelle was found, but this explanation does not convince scholars: more reasonably, the name may come from “zudegà” (judged) that refers to a sentence issued in the 9th century by which land was allotted to rebellious families banned from Venice and then recalled from exile.
Even the Giudecca, like the rest of Venice, consists of multiple islands connected by some bridges.

 

On its territory Palladio built two churches: the Chiesa delle Zitelle and Chiesa del Redentore.

In front of the Church of the Redeemer, Chiesa del Redentore on the third saturday of July each year, it organized a pontoon bridge that connects the Zattere and the Giudecca.
At 11:30 started the fireworks in the world’s most beautiful and fascinating. They last 40 minutes in a unique setting: an expanse of boats of all kinds, carrying the Venetians who eat and drink waiting for foghi, fireworks, to celebrate, since 1557, the end of the plague, the Feast of the Redeemer.

 

Dinner at Giudecca – FatbooWalking through the fondamenta that delimits to the Giudecca Canal which divides it from Venice, you can see all the areas that, at the end of the nineteenth century, have been used as factories and construction sites, but that in the past were convents.

 

In its western part, on the site of the former convent of San Biagio, suppressed by Napoleon, there is a magnificent example of Nordic architecture, designed by the architect Ernest Wullekopf, desired by Giovanni Stucky a large factory for the processing of grains, particles in the grain for bread: the Mulino Stucky.

 

Recently remodeled, it became a five-star hotel and residence particularly wealthy people.
To the west of Giudecca, separated by a small canal that runs alongside the Mulino Stucky, lies the island of Saccafisola, a popular area, with houses built in the second half of the twentieth century.