Based in Birmingham, Alabama, Scott Sink is a senior executive vice president of the energy division at McGriff, Seibels & Williams, Inc. Passionate about travel, Birmingham professional Scott Sink has had the opportunity to visit various cities across Italy such as Rome, Milan, and Venice.
While the historic center of Venice and sights such as St. Marks Basilica and the San Giorgio Maggiore Bell Tower are more popular among tourists, there is much more that a municipality of islands within a lagoon can offer. A verdant respite from the urban milieu, Isola Della Certosa was traditionally home to Carthusian monks, who built a grand monastery decorated with lavish art and contained ducal tombs.
In the 19th century, as the Serenissima Republic declined, the military requisitioned the island and sold pieces of the monastery off to collectors. This included the cloister, which was acquired by Prince Charles of Prussia in 1850 and reassembled in his Berlin summer castle.
Today, the Carthusian monks' legacy is most felt in the abundant trees that grace an island that has been converted for use as a public park. One of the unique trees on the property, which can be enjoyed on a walking path, is a centuries-old mulberry of a type from the Orient used for silkworm breeding. The island also contains a 300-berth marina complex that runs summer regattas and offers a sailing club and alfresco restaurant
