While on Burano, try to get crossways to the island of San Francesco del Deserto . Unfortunately, the only form of public transport is a taxi, but depending on the number of passengers, the length of the visit and the time of year, the price may be open to negotiation. There’s a taxi-rank next to the vaporetto stop, with a free telephone booth for use if no taxi is waiting. You could also try asking around at the harbour, but it’s not very likely that you’ll find a boat-owner prepared to make a deal.

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Visitors are shown round the island and convent of San Francesco del Deserto regular 9-11am & 3-5pm; a few thousand lire should be left as a donation.

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Saint Francis ran aground here in 1220 and decided to build a chapel and cell on the island. Jacopo Michiel, the owner of the island, gave it to the Franciscans soon after the saint’s death, and apart from deserting it for a while in the fifteenth century because of malaria, and being pushed out in the nineteenth century by the military, they have been here ever since.

The present chapel was built over the original one in the fifteenth century, and was lovingly and simply restored in 1962, uncovering some of the original floor and foundations. Seven friars live here, some in retreat, and a few young men stay for a year before becoming Franciscan novices. With its birdsong, its profusion of plants and its cypress-scented air, the monastery is the most tranquil place in the lagoon