Things to Do in Europe

On the island of Torcello in the Venetian lagoon sits one of the most important churches in Venice - the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. Torcello itself is the site of one of the earliest settlements on the Venetian islands, so it has enormous historical importance. The cathedral itself is one of the oldest structures in Venice.

The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta dates from the 7th century, although most of what you see today was built in the 9th, 11th, 12th and 14th centuries. The 11th- and 12th-century renovations in the Byzantine style include some stunning mosaic pieces on the interior walls in what’s called the Byzantine-Ravennate school. If you’ve visited St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice and liked the colorful mosaics there, then you’ll love seeing the mosaics in the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta—in the same style, but older.

Surrounded by the boutiques and bars that have made Mykonos the Aegean’s most stylish and sophisticated Greek island, the flower-bedecked Church of Panagia Paraportiani is a highlight of a wander through the town’s picture-perfect Little Venice. The island’s most famous and most photographed church is made up of four whitewashed chapels, topped by a further bright white chapel on the upper storey, reached by an external staircase. Built between the 14th and 17th centuries, the church once guarded the entrance to the town’s castle, long since destroyed.

The multi-layered nature of the church gives it a unique shape, rising from the squared-off white chapels on the ground level to the domed church of the Virgin Mary on the top. Don’t miss the chance snap a photo of the church, standing out in brilliant white against the deep blue sky of the Aegean.

With its grand Baroque façade standing proud over Luza Square, the Church of St Blaise is one of the most beautiful buildings of Dubrovnik’s Old Town. Originally built in the 14th century, the church was badly damaged in the 1667 earthquake and much of the present structure dates from its early 18th century reconstruction. Dedicated to the Dubrovnik’s patron saint and protector, the domed church is the handiwork of Venetian architect Marino Gropelli and is built on the plan of a Greek cross.

The church is best known for its remarkable silver statue of St Blaise, one of the city’s most important sculptures, depicting the saint holding up a model of the 15th-century city.  Additional highlights include the exquisite stained-glass windows by local painter Ivo Dulcie, a pair of 15th century St. Blaise and St. Jerome sculptures by Nikola Lazanie and a collection of the Saint’s relics, which are famously carried through the streets of Dubrovnik each February 3rd for the Feast of St. Blaise.