The Mekhitarist Monastery occupies San Lazzaro degli Armeni, a small island in the Venetian Lagoon long associated with Armenian scholarship. The monastery library preserves manuscripts, printed books, maps, and works connected with Armenian history, while the church and museum collection make the island more than just a quiet religious retreat.
Visits are usually by guided tour and are worth planning rather than leaving to chance. The short boat ride from Venice also gives a different sense of the lagoon, away from the busiest routes around San Marco and the Grand Canal.