La Salina

Across the Venetian lagoon, a whisper of history echoes from La Salina. This unassuming islet, nestled north of Lio Piccolo and east of Santa Caterina, holds a past far grander than its size suggests. Once known as Motta di San Felice, La Salina’s story begins centuries ago, intertwined with a monastery that thrived until the 15th century. La Salina, along with Motta dei Cunici, belonged to the island of Ammiana. Imagine this area in the 7th century AD, a significant settlement in the northern lagoon, rivaling the likes of Torcello, Burano, and Constanziaco. In 899, monks seeking refuge from the Magyar invasions founded the Convent of Saints Felice and Fortunato on La Salina. This convent flourished, its influence extending to Lio Piccolo and Sant’Erasmo. Over the centuries, the convent received generous donations, expanding its reach throughout the lagoon. One notable gift came in 949 from Pietro Longo, granting the monastery an allodio, a royal property, with hunting and fishing rights. Later, in 1086, Rachinbaldo di Collalto, Count of Treviso, confirmed the donation of the Selva di Paliaga. Even Emperor Henry V of Franconia granted the convent ownership of the islands of Fossato, Ronco, and Zuello in 1116. La Salina’s fortunes changed as Ammiana and Costanciaco declined due to human intervention in the northern lagoon’s tributaries. The monastery on La Salina also fell into decay. Pope Gregory X ordered its closure due to the monks’ perceived ignorance. The monks migrated to Venice, leaving the monastery deserted by 1419. The Venetian Senate, in 1455, repurposed the monastery’s marble for St. Mark’s Basilica. Finally, in 1472, Pope Sixtus IV deconsecrated the monastery, leaving only the bell tower as a reminder of its past. La Salina’s story takes a surprising turn in the 19th century. The island became a prominent salt production site, hence the name La Salina. In 1842, Carlo Astruc from Montpellier revived the island, obtaining a salt production concession. By 1845, Baron Salomone di Rothschild took over the saltworks, constructing lodgings for seasonal workers, homes for the director, and storage for the salt. This salt, after a brief stay, was transported to the Magazzini del Sale near Punta della Dogana. La Salina’s salt production was so substantial that the island’s original name, Motta San Felice, faded from memory. This bustling activity, however, did not last. In 1913, La Salina ceased its salt production, marking the end of a millennia-old trade in the Venetian lagoon.