“San Giorgio in Alga”
2013
Media: pastel on card
Size: 17,5 x 17,5 cm
This name, in honour of the patron saint St. George , was due to the large amount of algae that grew around the island. In the year 1000 the church of St. George and the Benedictine monastery were built which brought wealth and prestige to the island. The 15th century was became a golden age for the island when it became the residence of pious Venetian nobles such as Cardinal Antonio Correr and Gabriele Condulmer (Pope Eugenius IV) . The island remained a destination for rich religious orders but with the fall of the Serenissima, the island lost its influence and reputation. The island was turned into a political prison in 1799, the church was destroyed in 1806 and the convent became a powder magazine . During the Second World War it was used as a storage base and battery, and now it has been abandoned.
