Burano -- Jewel of the Lagoon

From the boat, the island looks like a veritable treasure chest, loaded with jewels of every color.  It is instead an island of colored houses sitting atop the turquoise lagoon.  Always, I have wanted a house that is brightly painted, both inside and out.  I've been known to paint each room in my house a different color to remind me of specific places around the Mediterranean.  But here, I've found my dream village!

It's like looking at my 164-count box of Crayola crayons. The houses are each a bright contrasting color because the fishermen wanted to be able to see their houses from out on the lagoon.  It was also a way for these fishermen to navigate themselves back to their unique houses in the morning mist of the lagoon. 

Burano is a lazy quiet village during the day.  There are many gathered together or alone on chairs outside chatting or yelling across the small canals at others relaxing in front of their own houses.  Here it seems the streets are extensions of living rooms.  

Burano has about 7,000 inhabitants, and the brightly colored houses are also here for tourists to enjoy.  I wasn't given one dirtly look from owners as I clicked away on my camera.  Instead I was greeted with smiles and "ciaos."

Besides its colorful houses, Burano is known for it's fish dishes.  You can find several restaurants serving typical Buranese dishes of sarde in saor (sardines marinated in onions and raisins), or the risotto al nerro di seppia (squid risotto with a black sauce made from the juices of the squid).  Burano has a tradition of lacemaking, and you can visit the lacemaking museum (Museo del Murletto).  Unfortunately, lacemaking is a dying art, and much of the lace is mass-produced and imported from China, so shop carefully if you want something hand-made and from Burano.

The kaleidoscope that is Burano is a magical place to spend the day.  It's a scenic 40- minute vaporetto ride from the Fondamenta Nova vaporetto stop in Venice. 

Comments

[Rozee]

Burano-Jewel of the Lagoon.
Fantastic and colorful.
Enjoyed the trip.
Rozee

[Dianne Jacob]

Hi Kathy,

Looks like you're having a fantastic time and enjoying the chance to chronicle it. Your photos are gorgeous.

[Jozee Pizzurro]

Here is another "WOW" from me. How did you capture the colors of the houses onto the waters? Just beautiful. Nice story about why the fishermen's homes were so brightly colored. I like the comment about the "streets are extensions of living rooms."

[Paula Aiello]

I'm like you .. my bathroom's walls are all different (bright) colors.
Thanks for the tip about the lace - I'd never heard of this and wouldn't have know to watch for the real stuff - btw: how do you tell if it's locally made?

[My Carolina Kitchen]

I just found your gorgeous blog from Diane Jacob's newsletter. Wow, she was right. Your photos are terrific. I just subscribed to your blog so I won't miss anything in the future.
Sam