The colourful village and the cylindrical bell tower
On the Adriatic coast between Venice and Trieste, Caorle is a seaside resort that has kept the soul of an ancient fishing village. Founded by refugees from the Roman town of Concordia fleeing the barbarian invasions, it is sometimes called "little Venice" for its narrow calli, small squares, canals and colourful houses, painted in bright shades of red, yellow, blue and green.
The symbol of Caorle is the eleventh century Romanesque cathedral with its unusual cylindrical bell tower, crowned by a conical spire, one of the few of its kind in Italy, and a precious Pala d'Oro inside. On a rocky point along the seafront, the sanctuary of the Madonna dell'Angelo, a little white church, is linked to the legend of a statue of the Virgin found floating on the sea by fishermen. The seafront promenade, the Scogliera Viva, is a breakwater of large rocks sculpted by artists during an annual festival. Behind the town extends the lagoon of Caorle, with its "casoni", the old fishermen's huts of reeds, which inspired Ernest Hemingway, who came here to hunt ducks.
Tip: the long beaches of Caorle are suitable for families; boat trips through the lagoon to see the casoni leave from the port.
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