San Francesco del Deserto is a small Franciscan monastery on its own quiet island in the northern Venetian Lagoon, between Sant'Erasmo and Burano. Tradition links the island with St Francis of Assisi, who is said to have stopped here after returning from the East in the 13th century.
The appeal is as much the setting as the convent itself: cypress trees, brick cloisters, lagoon silence, and views back toward the busier islands. Visits are usually simple and contemplative, and getting there normally requires a private boat or a prearranged transfer rather than the regular vaporetto network.