Insider Tips: Burano

Burano is one of Venice’s islands. Much loved and widely photographed, it is famous for its handcrafted lace, colourful houses and crooked bell tower. Burano is a picturesque oasis of peace, where you can sample delicious fish dishes and discover artists unknown to the public at large.

BY CHIARA ZACCARELLI

Many international tourism magazines have described Burano as ‘one of the 10 most colourful locations in the world’, but this island of approximately 3,000 inhabitants, located in Venice’s Northern Lagoon, northeast of Murano, is much more. While strolling through its narrow alleys and ‘campielli’ you’ll be struck by its old-world atmosphere. You’ll see elderly ladies making lace with a bobbin, children running around the streets beneath balconies on which the washing has been hung out to dry in the sun, and fishermen returning from their fishing trips laden with the catch of the day.

BURANO’S COLOURED HOUSES

The island’s typical brightly coloured houses are mostly square-shaped and built on two or three floors. Why are they so colourful? The colours of the houses have become one of the island’s main attractions in this era of Instagram, they were once used to define various properties (each colour is simply the symbol of a given family).

According to legend, fishermen painted their houses in rainbow hues in order to identify them from afar after returning from long fishing trips. In addition to the colourful houses reflected in the waters of the canal, one of the most beautiful views, for lovers of photography is the crooked bell tower that dominates the historic centre. With the sun setting behind the old fish market, and Venice silhouetted in the background, this is the vista that opens up in front of the ‘Tre Ponti’, a wooden bridge that connects three different banks. While all the houses of Burano are brightly coloured, the house of Bepi Suà is the most colourful of them all. It is decorated with all types of geometric shapes, including circles, squares and triangles, and is painted in multiple shades of yellow, orange, red and blue. The house belonged to a particularly creative inhabitant of the island who painted a new geometric shape on the walls of his home almost every day. After ‘Il Bepi’s’ death, the islanders renovated the house, but maintained its façade. Over the years, his house has become one of the island’s most recognizable symbols. If you want to visit it, you’ll find it behind piazza Galuppi, Burano’s main square. The house can be accessed via a narrow street that leads onto a small ‘campiello’ or square.

LACE, REAL WORKS OF ART

Burano’s lace is among the most famous in the world. This traditional art dates back to the 1500s when marvelous masterpieces were created using only a needle and thread, with no cloth support. Following the fall of the Republic of the Serenissima, lace working suffered a serious decline, but was revived at the end of the 19th century when the new stitches that transformed the embroidery into real works of art, were introduced. This is an art form that continues to be handed down. In summer, you can still see elderly lace-makers chatting to one another while they work in the island’s narrow streets. Legend has it that a fisherman, who was betrothed to a local girl, managed to resist the call of the legendary sirens. The queen of the sirens was so impressed by the young man’s loyalty to his fiancée that she gifted him with a wedding veil made of sea foam. The women of the island were so envious of the magnificent veil that they decided to try to recreate it using needles and thread. Hence, the traditional working of lace began on the island. To learn more about this and other interesting facts related to the world of Burano lace, you can visit the Lace Museum. The museum, located at Burano’s School of Lace, features a display of more than 100 exquisite items, several of which date back to the 16th century. While visiting the museum, you can also consult a historic archive and watch lace-makers at work (museomerletto.visitmuve.it).

THE HEART OF BURANO

Burano consists of four islands, separated by three internal canals: Rio Pontinello, Rio Giudecca and Rio Terranova. Like Venice, it is divided into five ‘sestieri’ (districts), separated by the above-mentioned canals, on which the address code is based. The real centre of the town is piazza Baldassare Galuppi. The square is named after Burano’s revered composer of comic opera, Baldassare Galuppi, also known as ‘Il Buranello’. One of the square’s landmark attractions is the church of San Martino, the only official church on the island, renowned for its famous crooked bell tower, the result of a structural failure in its foundations. In addition to its ornate interiors, the church hosts several notable works of art, including a famous Crucifixion by Gian Battista Tiepolo. Located just a short distance away, another must-visit attraction is the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. After being deconsecrated in 1810, the church was used as a ’squero’ or boatyard and later as a workshop for the construction of carnival floats. Today, it is used as a venue to host exhibitions and events. Piazza Galuppi is also home to the Town Hall, a cylindrical well divided into five sectors crafted entirely in Istrian stone, and to the statue of Baldassare Galuppi by Remigio Barbaro, a well-known Buranese sculptor.

WHERE AND WHAT TO EAT IN BURANO

Because it was originally an island of fishermen, Burano is renowned, first and foremost, for its fresh fish dishes, including ‘spaghetti alle vongole’ or spaghetti with squid ink. Its most famous recipe is ‘risotto di Gò’, risotto cooked in the broth of the gò, a typical type of lagoon fish, known in the rest of Italy as ‘ghiotto’ or goby. Try it at one of the best traditional restaurants of the Lagoon, Trattoria da Romano (www. daromano.it). Burano’s trattorias are both typical and authentic, and you’ll probably eat better here, and at half the price, than at most tourist restaurants in Venice.

In particular, we recommend Al Gatto Nero, which serves a fabulous assortment of fresh fish starters (www.gattonero.com), and Riva Rosa. The latter is located in the centre of the island, and offers a contemporary, fish-based menu. For romantic evenings, the restaurant’s special feature is a rooftop ‘altana’, a typically Venetian raised wooden terrace, with a small table and a breathtaking view (www.rivarosa.it). If you’re a fan of sweet treats, an absolute must is the island’s typical Bussolà dessert, made from flour, butter and fresh eggs. You can purchase it from Carmelina Palmisano, one of the island’s oldest and most renowned bakery/pastry shops in via Galuppi (www.biscotteriaveneziana.it).

FOR LOVERS OF LOCAL SHOPPING

If you want to take home an exquisite item of lace, you’re in the right place. Lovers of local shopping will have a great time browsing the small shops and artisanal workshops scattered throughout the town. An absolute must is a visit to Emilia Burano, in piazza Galuppi. The story of Emilia Burano, is a story of a tradition and craftsmanship, since 1800. Its linen, handmade lace and items for the table, bathroom and bedroom, plus furnishings for yachts, private jets and boutique hotels, have won over Hollywood stars and resulted in prestigious collaborations including one with Aston Martin (www.emiliaburano.it). The same applies to the nearby La Perla Gallery, renowned for its collection of antique lace, exquisite, customizable tablecloths, home linens, furnishing accessories, beautiful silks for clothing and lingerie, children’s wear, exclusive cashmere, silk scarves and Venetian masks (www.laceinvenice.com). In addition to lace, Burano boasts a production of Venetian masks and lampworking, a technique that was invented in the neighbouring island of Murano, but is also widespread on the other islands of the lagoon. You’ll also come across real miniature glass-working factories, including New Arte Fuga, a store located at number 132 of the brightly-coloured Fondamenta Giudecca, hosted inside a charming apple green house.

Get your tour

Are you interested in discovering the hidden corners of Burano with a local guide, learning about the history of Burano and its neighbouring islands, immersing yourself in the magical atmosphere of this fishermen’s village, or watching lace-makers in action? You can choose from one of many organized tours, including, for example, the tour held by Discoverburano (www.discoverburano.com).

If, on the other hand, you’d prefer to visit all the islands of the lagoon in one go, you can opt for a day trip to the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello. Tours leave from the railway station of Venice or from San Marco (isoladiburano.insidecom.it).