Isle of San Clemente
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 Isola di San Clemente
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| Geography | |
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| Coordinates | 45°24′40″N 12°20′08″E / 45.411097°N 12.335585°ECoordinates: 45°24′40″N 12°20′08″E / 45.411097°N 12.335585°E |
| Adjacent bodies of water | Venetian Lagoon |
| Area | 62,000 m2 (670,000 sq ft) |
| Length | 380 m (1,250 ft) |
| Width | 230 m (750 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Region | Veneto |
| Province | Province of Venice |
Isola di San Clemente (San Clemente Island) is a small island in the Venetian Lagoon in Italy. For centuries it housed a monastic settlement, and more recently an asylum. It is now the site of a luxury hotel.
San Clemente Island lies in the Venetian Lagoon between Giudecca and the Lido. The island covers 6 hectares (15 acres), of which 1.34 is edified.
The island was first settled in 1131, when Venetian merchant Pietro Gattilesso funded the construction of the church of San Clemente and a hospice for pilgrims and soldiers destined for the Holy Land. The name is dedicated to Pope Clement I, who died as a martyr according to legend and who is patron of seamen. The complex was run by Augustine canons, while the entire island was under the jurisdiction of the patriarch of Grado Enrico Dandolo. In 1288 the relics of Saint Anianus - the first successors of St. Mark as Patriarch of Alexandria - were brought to the San Clemente church.
After experiencing a slow decline in the course of the 14th century, San Clemente gained fresh life in 1432, when Pope Eugene IV moved the order of Lateran canons - also known as the Charity (Carità) - to the island. Thanks to donations provided by wealthy Venetian families, the canons began work on the restoration of the church and enlargement of the monastery.
In 1643, to fulfil a vow made during the plague epidemic that struck the city in 1630, Venetians funded the building of a new chapel, modelled on the Holy House of Loreto, inside the San Clemente church. This “church in a church” is still a main feature of the construction.
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