Italy remains one of Europe's most popular retirement destinations. Its slower pace of life, excellent cuisine and history continue to attract retirees from around the world.

A reopened flight route, a surname spotted on the village bell tower, a recipe scribbled in pencil: sometimes that is all it takes to trigger a return ticket.

An uninhabited island, flat as a table and hidden among sandbanks and canals: one of the most surprising places in the Venetian Lagoon is about to be reopened. San Giacomo in Paludo, just over a hectare between Murano and the route to Burano and Torcello, is at the center of a project that combines environmental restoration, research, and contemporary art.