Buy not just a villa, but an entire island. In Venice’s Northern Lagoon, Crevan—5,700 square meters of land rising from the water, located about seven kilometers from the city and just a few minutes by boat from Burano and Torcello—has hit the private real estate market. A rare opportunity.
The grounds are almost entirely green: lawns, tall trees, ornamental plants, and fruit trees surround the main building, while several paths lead to the two docking spots. There’s even a small internal canal. From the property, the view stretches out over Burano and Torcello, in the heart of the Northern Lagoon, with Venice in the background.
A 215-square-meter retreat
The island’s distinctive character comes from its 215-square-meter fort, a testament to its military past. The first redoubt was built in 1806, at the height of Napoleonic rule, when Crevan was incorporated into the defensive system designed to control access to Venice. Expanded later under Austrian rule, the fortification retained its function even after 1866, when—with the annexation of Veneto to the Kingdom of Italy—the island passed to the Italian state. It was only in the years following World War I that the military garrison was disbanded and Crevan became private property.
The building’s current appearance owes much to a restoration project that began in 1996, which restored the structure while preserving its original layout. The fort features four main rooms and two bathrooms, with running water, electricity, heating, and air conditioning. Several ancillary structures remain on the island, including a caretaker’s quarters: zoning regulations allow for their incorporation into the main building, opening up the possibility of expanding the residence.
The Origin of the Name
The name is also intriguing; it derives from the Crevan Canal, which runs along the island’s shore. According to local oral tradition, however, it dates back to a Franciscan friar who is said to have taken part in the reconstruction of the nearby convent of San Francesco del Deserto, one of the most evocative sites in the lagoon.
LionardLuxury Real Estate, a company specializing in luxury real estate, is handling the sale. In industry jargon, these are referred to as “ultra-prime” properties, and according to founder and CEO Dimitri Corti Crevan, they offer the privilege of “escaping the world without straying far” from the essence of Venice. The price has not been made public—the sale is private—but this isn’t the first time this tiny patch of the lagoon has been up for sale: it first appeared on the international market for luxury islands about a decade ago.
