Burano, with its five thousand inhabitants, is the largest island in the northern lagoon of Venice. It is located east of Mazzorbo and south of Torcello. The island is especially famous for its houses, which are almost all painted in bright colours.
Burano island Venice
History and description
Burano takes its name from one of the harbours of the ancient Roman town of Altino. When Torcello was still a town, Burano was a suburb.
The island is best known for its brightly coloured houses. The main economic activities are lace making, fishing and, inevitably, tourism.
Before Napoleon took over, there were four churches on the island. The Santa Maria delle Grazie Church has since been deconsecrated. The others were the San Mauro Church, the San Vito Church and the San Martino Vescovo Church, which still exists.
The easiest way to reach the island is by vaporetto from the Fondamente Nuove stop.
Lace
According to an old legend, the lace industry was born there thanks to a fisherman who loved his betrothed so much that he managed to resist the call of a Siren. The Queen of the Sea was so impressed that she gave the loyal sailor a crown of foam to give to his bride. The bride’s girlfriends became so jealous that they tried to make equally beautiful robes themselves, which led to the birth of the lace industry.