Boldly bright Burano

[bixaorellana]

The island of Burano, 9.3 kilometers from Venice, should properly be referred to as an archipelago as it is four small islands stitched together with bridges and canals.
According to tradition, it was founded in the 6th century by people from the Roman town of Alino in the Abruzzo area who were fleeing the barbarians.

Not surprisingly, Burano's main industry for centuries was fishing, although much less so now. At present the town is mostly known as a pleasant side trip from Venice,
a charming place of colorful houses and with remnants of a once thriving lace-making industry.

I took the water bus to Burano, saw the lace, admired the houses, ate the seafood and can wholeheartedly recommend this as a delightful country day out from Venice.

Pulling away from Venice ~





We passed little islets and some well-populated islands where the boat stopped to let off passengers; also sights such as this ~



Almost immediately upon disembarking in Burano, you come upon a shop selling very elaborate, high-quality lace, with a very old lady making lace right there in the shop.
It was very crowded so I took no pictures. I present this photo of a piece of Burano lace from the museum. It is NOT my photo. Credit goes to Avital Pinnick ~



This is outdated but charming ~



The main activity in town is strolling around, and a completely satisfying activity it is, too ~





What's a visit to anyplace without a selfie?



The abiding impression I took away from Burano was that of everyones dream of an idyllic summer island ~

[bixaorellana]

Some houses display another well-known Venetian art -- glass from the island of Murano ~







Although densely populated for its size, Burano does not feel cramped, as there are wide commons, green parks and corners such as this, mostly not found by tourists ~



You see lace even where there is no lace!



A lovely lady in one of the lace shops suggested a place to eat. I remain grateful ~

[bixaorellana]

Don't criticize. My picture is fine, it's the bell tower that is leaning ~





Closing in on the church ~



You can buy the big gray house and hear the bells all the time ~



War memorial on the very plain exterior of the 16th century church ~



Inside, each altar is adorned with lace ~





Oh dear! Is this supposed to be the Blessed Virgin as a baby? Surely the receptacle is much older than the fluffy infant. Thank you, donne ~




And we take our leave of Burano with this image of much better known donne ~

[bjd]

How nice this is, Bixa. And you can actually take photos without having mobs in the street. You were lucky with the weather too, showing off the colours of the houses.

[lagatta]

I want that fritto misto! Very light flouring or coating. memoriediangelina.com/2015/09/18/fritto-misto-di-mare/

[kerouac2]

The photos are lovely. I will second lagatta on the fritto misto, but what attracts me the most is no cars. Whenever I have been in a place where motor vehicles are absent, I realize what a fantastic improvement of life that is.

I imagine that Italy must be a bit like France in organizing the paint jobs on the houses. Tones and alternations of colours are super important. I wonder what happens when the owners of four houses in a row say that their favourite colour is Green. Pink. Yellow. Are there compensations for following the colour scheme? Bribes? Threats?

In any case, the end result is wonderful.

[fumobici]

The Tuscan authorities would be shitting bricks if they saw a row of houses painted like these in their bailiwick!

This is a beautiful little report, I never made it out to these islands (never even made it to Giudecca I have to admit), there was just too, too much to see in Venice proper. It looks like a lovely respite.

[kerouac2]

Aug 20, 2019 15:03:04 GMT fumobici said:

The Tuscan authorities would be shitting bricks if they saw a row of houses painted like these in their bailiwick!

Same in Lorraine. It is rather dismal to say this, but in Lorraine the authorised colours are basically tan, brown, grey, oyster... The moment you cross the border into Belgium or Luxembourg, you think "was there a fire sale at the paint store?"

[bixaorellana]

Thanks to all of you!

One of the ways that this was a worthwhile excursion is that the trip there showcases what a watery world it is out there on the upper edge of Italy and makes it interesting all over again to contemplate what a major power Venice once was.

I haven't been able to nail down a reliable account of why the houses are so colorful. One abiding myth is that the fisherman did it so that they could see their homes from out on the water. Another is that it started as a way to define property boundaries. Several sources say that homeowners must get permission from the (town?) authorities before changing their house colors.

[lagatta]

The reason the lack of cars didn't strike me is that they are banned in Venice proper as well. But it is true that there are such crowds now that one can't enjoy the quiet as much. I first went to Venice over 30 years ago, as I was studying nearby, in Udine and Pordenone. Getting up early and avoiding San Marco, I could enjoy some quiet.

Obviously, I mean historic Venice, not Mestre. Though the latter does have remains of its medieval historic centre and a pleasant central square where you will hear people speaking Venetian.

[kerouac2]

Google told me this :

Legend has it that the houses were painted in bright colors, so when the fishermen returned from their work at sea, they could see and recognize their houses in the thick fog.

We talked to an Italian lady we met in the streets and she told us, that they can choose any color to paint their house. There is just one rule: they can’t choose the same color as their neighbour.

[lugg]

Super postcard Bixa. Burano looks so lovely and vibrant. I can only echo what others have said about your lunch; it looks mouth wateringly good. I have only visited Venice once but one thing that struck me then and does again when I look at your first two photos is how impressive but fragile the city of Venice looks from the sea.

[mich64]

Truly lovely photos Bixa. Will ensure we visit Burano on our next trip to Venice now that I have seen and read your postcard. I enjoyed your photos of all the color whether it be on the buildings or shutters.

I remember feeling very anxious and overwhelmed as the boat got further away from the dock and it took me some time to relax and enjoy the most beautiful views on the way to Murano, I was okay on the way back. I spend so many of my days on our boat on the lake, you would think I would be comfortable on a much larger water taxi, I think it may have been the immensity of experiencing the sea for the first time.

[bixaorellana]

Thank you, ladies!

Love your description of Venice as "impressive but fragile" when seen from the sea, Lugg. One of the things that so enchanted me about Venice is how it seems a product of enchantment -- as though you'd suddenly wake up and it wouldn't be this fantastically beautiful place floating in a light that seems not to exist anywhere else. And yeah, that a real city has been setting on a tiny toehold of land in a watery universe for centuries is hard to assimilate.

Oh Mich, I do hope you get over to Burano. It's so easy to get a water bus ticket that you can wait for a nice day for the outing. It is certainly not a rocky ride. I was relaxed because much of the time I was marveling at how the water and landscape we passed seemed so much like parts of southern Louisiana.

I highly recommend eating on Burano and also looking into the shops. Many of the lace items are quite reasonably priced and make thoughtful and very portable gifts.

[lagatta]

Yes, that area is pretty flat, but Veneto gets hillier in the north of the region. Obviously, like NOLA, Venice is greatly endangered by climate change.