From “insula Memmia” to “the island of the cypresses”.
In the time of the Roman Emperor Augustus, the Venetian lagoon was very different from the way we see it today. There were many small rivers which provided access from the mainland to the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, then "the island of Memmia", named for the family of Roman nobility who owned it. A small church made of wood and brick was constructed on the island in front of Piazza San Marco and called San Giorgio Maggiore (to distinguish it from another on the island of San Giorgio in Alga). The property remained a part of the Dogale Basilica di San Marco until 982, when Doge Tribuno Memmo donated it to a monk. 2.2 Giovanni Morosini. Morosini had returned from Cussano where he had acquired and professed the "rule" of Saint Benedict. Desiring to institute a Benedictine monastery, he asked to found one near the church of San Giorgio, where at the time there was little but marshland. No sooner was Morosini's request granted, he became the first Abbot of the island and constructed a spacious monastery. Under his direction, it fast became a spiritual retreat for many young citizens of noble origin. Some of them remained, embracing monastic life, among them, the aforementioned Doge Memmo, (although many historians claim, due to an angry populace, Memmo sought refuge instead among the monks of San Zaccaria). Of historical certitude, however, is the fact that among Morosini's scholars was Saint Gerard Sagredo, bishop and martyr (San Gerardo).
Morosini died in 1012 after serving twenty-five years as guide and model for his monks, with such an impeccable reputation that he was bestowed the title, "Blessed" by the Venetian people..
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