Torcello today is a desert island with less than steady 14 inhabitants. During its heydays, between 7th-10th century, it was richer and more important than Venice. From this golden time only few relics have survived as the Byzantine Basilica Santa Maria Assunta and the Santa Fosca Church, which importance to Torcello's past are revealed in this analysis by focussing not only architectural moreover the social and cultural aspects.