Burano Island – “Island of the Lacemakers”
Burano Island is the most “decorative” of the Venetian possessions, its houses painted in various bright colours look like toys. Even in winter, the views are cheerful, and hanging laundry out to dry adds to the charm of the townscape: it’s everywhere.
The brightly coloured walls are said to have been used to make it easier for sailors returning from a voyage to find their way home. There is also a more ridiculous and unbelievable version, which says that sailors had their foreheads painted in the colours of their homes. But there is a third version: the houses were probably painted brightly to distinguish their town. Until 1923, Burano, which was united with other territories, was considered a separate municipality, where each family was assigned its own colour, so this colourfulness became Burano’s main trademark.
The area has a minimum of attractions: (the Lace Museum and the church of San Martino with its 52-metre high bell tower).
The island began to be settled in the 6th century for the same reason as the other islands of the Venetian lagoon: the inhabitants of the northern provinces of the Roman Empire fled to these harsh marshlands to escape the invading barbarians. For centuries, the men of Burano have been fishing and the women mending and weaving gear. The women later used their skills to make everyday objects for interior decoration, including lace weaving.
