The colors of Burano

These days we have been in Venice! In addition to the Venetian historic center, we visited the island of Burano, which can be reached from the city of Venice or the island of Murano by lagoon navigation.

The story

Burano is a town of 2,270 inhabitants located on four islands in the northern Venetian lagoon. When what was once the Serenissima was still taking its first steps, the island system of Torcello, Mazzorbo and Burano, was already known as a thriving urban reality also known as the “Venice before Venice.”

The colors

Once off the vaporetto, one is captivated by the colors of Burano and the reflections of the houses in the canals. The feeling is that of being in front of an imperfect painting, drawn with brushes. The colors of the houses today have become the main feature of the island. They once served to demarcate properties. However, there is a “legend” related to the colorful character of the island, which says that it was the fishermen who used to paint their houses in order to recognize them from afar during the long periods of absence due to fishing.

The first thing that jumps out at you is a solemn sculpture by Buranello artist Remigio Barbaro. Then continuing on one plunges into the banks leading to the main street. Arriving in Piazza Galuppi, the only one on the island, the kind ladies who own the stores invite the most curious tourist to enter to admire the lace-making.

Get lost

To fully enjoy Burano, it is necessary to “get lost.” It is therefore worthwhile to delve into the canals and streets outside the usual tour leading to the square, in search of Burano’s typical dessert, bussolà, a doughnut-shaped, yellow-looking cookie with a dough rich in egg yolks, flour and butter. The experience of Burano was enlightening, especially for the many insights we got as we wandered through the colorful alleys and at the end of the day made us exclaim “thank goodness we got lost”!