STS FUSCA AND MAURA
Sts Fusca and Maura (Feast day: February 13th) were martyred in Ravenna during the reign of Decius. Fusca was a young maiden, and Maura was her nurse. They are not in an official Orthodox Calendar of saints, but they were martyred in 250 AD, and are thus pre-schism Saints.
LOCATION
Sts Fusca and Maura’s relics are in Chiesa di Santa Fosca in Torcello—one of the islands in the Venetian lagoons.
If you plan on making a trip to Venice and wish to venerate the relics of the saints—especially on some of the islands—then I recommend planning at least 2 days. It takes a while for the boats to get from one island to another, so plan at least one day to visit some of the ‘lagoons’.
You can get a pass to visit Murano (St. Donatus), Burano (St. Barbara the Great Martyr), and Tortello (St. Heliodorus, Sts. Fusca and Maura) at one of the departure points. I don’t recommend visiting any more islands in a given day because there simply isn’t enough time to see them all.
Tortello itself is small, with very few people living there. It used to be a city of importance and it is why there are Basilicas on the island, but that changed when Venice came to prominence. If you walk along the main road along the canal, it will take you to the Church.
The Church is Byzantine style and is in the right corner (look at the map and the picture of the Churches above). When you enter, Sts Fusca and Maura’s relics will be at the far end and below the altar.
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