Остров Сан-Лаццаро-дельи-Армени: Центр армянской культуры в Венецианской лагуне

Small island in the Venetian Lagoon

San Lazzaro degli Armeni (san ˈladdzaro deʎʎ arˈmɛːni, Literal translation (lit.) "Saint Lazarus of the Armenians"; sometimes called Saint Lazarus Island in English; ) is a small island in the Venetian Lagoon which has been home to the monastery of the Mekhitarists, an Armenian Catholic congregation, since 1717. It is one of the two primary centers of the congregation, along with the monastery in Vienna. The islet lies to the southeast of Venice proper and west of the Lido and covers an area of Settled in the 9th century, it was a leper colony during the Middle Ages, but fell into disuse by the early 18th century. In 1717 San Lazzaro was ceded by the Republic of Venice to Mkhitar Sebastatsi, an Armenian Catholic monk, who established a monastery with his followers. It has since been the headquarters of the Mekhitarists and, as such, one of the world's prominent centers of Armenian culture and Armenian studies. Numerous important publications, such as the first complete dictionary of the Armenian language (1749–69) and the first modern history of Armenia (1781–86), were made in the island by the monks which made it an early major center of Armenian printing. San Lazzaro has been enlarged nearly four times from its original size through land reclamation. It was recognized as an academy by Napoleon in 1810 when nearly all monasteries of Venice were abolished. A significant episode in its history is Lord Byron's visit in 1816–17. The island is one of the best known historic sites of the Armenian diaspora. The monastery has a large collection of books, journals, artifacts, and the third largest collection of Armenian manuscripts (more than 3,000). Over the centuries, dozens of artists, writers, political and religious leaders have visited the island. It has since become a tourist destination.

San Lazzaro lies to the southeast of Venice proper and west of the Lido. Some 40,000 people visit the island annually, It is often referred to in English as Saint Lazarus Island. In Armenian, the island is called Surb Ghazar (Սուրբ Ղազար), meaning "Saint Lazarus".

The number of monks, students, and other residents at San Lazzaro has fluctuated throughout history. Twelve monks led by Mkhitar Sebastatsi arrived in Venice in 1715. A century later, in 1816, when Byron visited the island, there were some 70 Mekhitarists in San Lazzaro. Their number has been smaller thereafter. By the early 1840s, the island housed 50 monks and students. By 1960, some 20 resident monks were reported. A Los Angeles Times writer noted in 1998 that San Lazzaro is still a "monastic hub of activity," although at the time the monastery housed only 10 seminarians and 10 fathers. Teresa Levonian Cole wrote in 2015 that 12 vardapets (educated monks) and five novices reside in San Lazzaro.

[[File:San Lazzaro 16th century. png|thumb|upright|San Lazzaro in a map dating from the second half of the 16th century. The Mekhitarist congregation was left in peace, according to some sources, due to the intercession of Roustam Raza, Napoleon's Mamluk bodyguard of Armenian origin. Napoleon signed a decree, dated August 27, 1810, which declared that the congregation may continue to exist as an academy. Since then, San Lazzaro has also known as an academy and sometimes referred to in Latin as Academia Armena Sancti Lazari. The monastery has been enlarged significantly through land reclamation four times since the 19th century. First, in 1815, the Mekhitarists were permitted by Austrian Emperor Francis II to expand the island. The area north of the island was filled which doubled its area from 7,900 m2 to 13,700 m2. In 1836, a boundary wall around the island's newly reclaimed area was built. The channel of the boathouse was filled in 1912 and it was moved to the far western corner. The shoreline was straightened. These adjustments increased its area to 16,970 m2. San Lazzaro's latest major enlargement occurred in post World War II period. Between 1947 and 1949, the island was expanded on the southeast and the southwest. The island now has an area of 30,000 m2 or 3 hectares. A fire broke out on the night of December 8, 1975, which partially destroyed the library and damaged the southern side of the church, and destroyed two Gaspare Diziani paintings. The exhibition, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and curated by Adelina Cüberyan von Furstenberg, won the Golden Lion award in the national participation category. San Lazzaro was affected by the November 13, 2019 flood, the heaviest since 1966.