Strolling through Burano

STROLLING THROUGH BURANO

In addition to Murano and Torcello, this island on the Venetian Lagoon should not be missed. Loved (and widely photographed) by tourists, it is famous for its colourful houses, butter biscuits and above all, its handcrafted lace.

With a population of only three thousand inhabitants, the island’s row of houses, whose facades boast all the colours of the rainbow, are truly spectacular and make it one of the most picturesque places on earth! However, the origin of this tradition of painting the houses in bright colours was not only for aesthetic reasons. Legend has it that its fishermen, often confused by frequent banks of fog, devised a chromatic

code that would help them identify their own landing piers more easily. Each colour corresponded to a family, to their house and to their address.

BURANO LACE. The island is also the capital of handmade lace, a craft kept alive for centuries by the wives of fishermen waiting for their husbands to return from sea. The work is extremely exacting, with each woman specializing in a single stitch. Since there are seven stitches in total, each piece is passed from woman to woman to finish. Groups of women work diligently for days to produce items, whether large or small, of matchless beauty: trims for dresses, accessories, tablecloths, gloves, umbrellas and masks, all made from this delicate, white lace, crafted with a painstaking attention to detail that has lasted for centuries. While on the island, make sure to visit the Museum of Lace-Making to understand

why something so exquisite should not become extinct (Piazza Galuppi, 187). GASTRONOMIC TRADITION. Butter biscuits known as Buranelli (either ring or S-shaped) are famous on the island and you'll be offered them wherever you go. However, this is not the only specialty that you’ll find. The island has a long-standing gastronomic tradition linked, above all, to fresh fish.

HOW TO REACH BURANO Vaporetto line number 12 runs from theVenice-Fondamente Nove stop to Burano (1 hour). If you’re not in a hurry, the Venetians recommend taking line 14 from San Zaccaria (Pietà stop). Take a look at the venue where the Film Festival is held, and admire the MOSE flood barrier, the huge hydraulic engineering project designed to protect the lagoon.

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