The islands of the lagoon are many, among those closest to Torcello there are: Burano, an island of fishermen, a charming town known for its brightly colored houses and famous for its lace. Mazzorbo: once an important trading center and now rich in vineyards, orchards with the beautiful fifteenth-century church of Santa Caterina. San Francesco del Deserto: frequented since Roman times, it then became a landing place for San Francesco d'Assisi, returning from the East and from the Fifth Crusade, who chose the island to found a shelter where it was possible to pray and meditate away from worldliness. It now houses a convent of minor friars. Sant'Erasmo: mainly agricultural, it supplies Venice with the freshest and most delicious fruit and vegetables, including the "castraure" the famous artichokes from the estuary. Murano, the island of glass, an unmissable tourist destination, very close to Venice.