The Colorful Island of Burano, Italy
It’s easy to become fully immersed in the enchantment of Venice. With its labyrinth of canals and lanes and bridges, and something gorgeous at every turn. It is a veritable visual feast packed with a plethora of top notch museums, churches and sights. However, f you can pull yourself away from the magic for day to explore the small islands of the Venetian Lagoon, you will see a different angle of this unique and beautiful region. The colorful island of Burano, situated in the northern Venetian Lagoon, is a 45-75 minute boat ride from Venice. It is well worth a visit to this charming place, especially if you bundle it with a visit to neighboring Murano, a mecca for Venice’s illustrious glass-making tradition.
An Island Saturated in Color
Upon approaching to the island, you will first notice the leaning tower of St Martin’s Church, which was built in the 1600’s. As soon as you step foot on land you will be captivated by the bright hues that envelop the houses. The homes were originally painted in bright colors by the resident fishermen, each with an identifying color so they could easily find their way home in the thickest fog. Today, if a resident wishes to repaint their home in a new hue they must obtain permission from the community government. Taking a walk through the vivid neighborhoods is a fantastic way to soak up the ambience. Vivid candy-striped curtains hang in front of each doorway to allow the breeze in while maintaining privacy.
Burano Lacemaking
Burano grew as a center of fine lacemaking hundreds of years ago. At the height of its popularity, the handmade lace from Burano was in high demand across Europe, including the French court of Louis IX. The women of Burano were famed for their intricate designs, which simply could not be imitated. Girls learned from the mothers, grandmothers or at the island’s lacemaking school, Scuola di Merletti (1872-1970) which today houses the lace museum. Nowadays, as with many traditional art forms, the elderly women keep their needles flying to preserve the tradition, but fewer young women are interested in pursuing this painstaking practice.
Don’t Leave Without Tasting…
Bussolà di Burano are butter cookies in the shape of an S (esse). It is said that women used to bake bussolà for their fishermen husbands when they left home on long fishing trips, so they would have sustenance throughout the duration fo their journey. They are an integral part of Easter celebrations and are sold daily in the island’s bakeries. Take a bag of bussolà to nibble on the boat ride back to Venice.
Getting to Burano
To make the journey to Burano on the ACTV Vaporetto (public transport water bus), you will need to take line 4.1, 4.2 or 5.2 to Fondamenta Nuovo then switch to #12 for the Burano stop. Purchase a ticket here. Or book a 5-hour guided small group or private tour and boat ride to visit the islands of Murano and Burano (near one another) with City Wonders, which I highly recommend.
