Attila's throne in the Isle of Torcello in Venice

Torcello, the first Venice island to be inhabited, is rich of legends and interesting stories, such as Attila – the King of the Huns – and his throne.

A legend has it that during their invasion of Italy in the 5^th century, the Hun arrived in the Isle of Torcello, where the inhabitants of the nearby roman city of Altino found refuge.

According to the legend the stone throne that is located in front of the cathedral was used by the Hun's king Attila, known as the Scourge of God, due to his ferocity towards his enemies.

In reality the Hun never arrived in Torcello as their descent into North Eastern Italy was halted at Aquileia (UD) and being pastoralist people, they would have never reached an island from the sea.

Despite the legend being untrue, this stone throne dates back to the 5^th century, when the first settlers arrived at the Isle of Torcello. The throne was instead used as the seat of the magister militum, the governor of the island, during council meetings and when administering justice.

You can visit the beautiful Torcello with our half-day excursion to the most famous Venetian islands, or discover the secret itineraries of its ancient cathedral with our guided visit of the Torcello Basilica.