I would definitely recommend a look when you visit Venice. It's inside the Church of St Mark (Basilica di San Marco) and as well as the fantastic ceiling mosaics, offers has a great view of the piazza.

Go up the (steep!) staircase on the right as you go from the narthex into the main body of the church. It's worth the effort, though.

The real horses of San Marco are up here too – the other ones are only modern replicas.

San Marco, Piazza San Marco

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The island of Torcello, 45 minutes from Venice by Vaporetto, is where Venice began. A perfect antidote to palaces and high renaissance art.

This tiny windswept island in the marshes was the place where the first settlers, fleeing from Attila the Hun, found refuge and laid the foundations for the mighty Venetian republic. Incredibly it once had 20,000 inhabitants before malaria took hold. Now all that's left is a wonderful church with fantastic 11th century mosaics and a bell tower which gives stunning views over allotments, marshes and the distant towers and domes of Venice.

There's also a rather fine restaurant Al Ponte del Diavolo, serving (very) local rabbit and fine pasta with wild fennel sauce (on the day we went). A perfect place for a spring lunch and to reflect on the beginnings and end of the Venetian republic!

Take the Vaporetto (LN route) from Fondamente Nuove stop. Change at Burano for shuttle to Torcello.

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If you care about the Venetian cityscape at all, you really ought to visit the city's churches. They are a showcase for Venice's unique architectural and artistic heritage and a good way of getting close to it without the mad crush of the Accademia, the Guggenheim or San Marco.

The only problem is that the churches sometimes want you to cross their palms with a little silver. So unless you want to disguise yourself as a nun, it's worth investing in a Chorus Pass. It costs about a fiver, is valid for a year, saves you the effort of finding a lot of change and gets you into around 16 of the city's best ecclesiastical monuments. My personal favourites: Madonna dell'Orto, Santo Stefano and the Frari which is full of masterpieces. Knockout stuff.

If you find the time head for Torcello cathedral. It's got to be one of the most sublime buildings in the lagoon. See if you can make friends with the local cats.

You can buy the Chorus pass at any of the participating churches

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Murano not only has glassworks, it also has churches: Santa Maria e San Donato has a stunning apse (from the outside) and an extraordinary marble mosaic floor on the inside; and San Pietro Martire contains my favourite Bellini.

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The island of Torcello, about 10km across the lagoon from Venice, is dominated by the stunning Romanesque cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. The sombre beauty of its exterior contrasts sharply with the startling blaze of colour that hits you as you enter. Its walls and floor are covered with a riot of breathtaking mosaic work: the elegantly curved apse at the eastern end depicts a serene Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus whilst the 12 apostles mooch around, a tad self-consciously, beneath. Things are a lot less tranquil at the opposite, western end which portrays a disconcertingly vivid last judgement scene. Contemplating this you can at least console yourself that, even if you do not deserve to sit with the righteous, your sufferings are as nothing compared to the torments of the damned. With glum resignation these unfortunates endure their kebabing in the inferno: sitting rueful amidst the flames while an avenging angel pokes them with a stick.
Although, of course, it could have been a whole lot worse: at least it’s not Jamie Oliver.

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