Burano and Murano

The island of Burano - the capital of Italian lace history

Instantly recognisable with its kaleidoscope of brightly painted buildings and flowerpots, this is an island that makes you feel happy! In fact, Burano is among the ten most colourful places in the world. Families used to paint their homes in cheerful colours to show where their house ended and the neighbour’s house began. It was also a way for the fishermen returning home in mists and swirling fog to find the right house. Molto importante.

It truly is a photo-lover’s paradise with colourful shuttered windows, window boxes filled with a profusion of flowers and streets and tiny courtyards resembling an artist’s palette.

One hundred years ago the population of Burano was about 7,000 and the island had 3,000 lacemakers at that time. Today, the population is 2,700 and nobody knows how many lacemakers are left. Maybe 200-300. Hard to say.

The origins of Venetian lace are lost to history. According to legend, a love-struck sailor gave a Venetian girl an aquatic plant called trina delle sirene - mermaid’s lace*.* The girl loved it so much she immortalized its beautiful form with fine threads and the art of lacemaking was born.

From the 16th to the 19th century Venetian lacemakers produced breathtaking pieces stitched together with gossamer-fine threads. For three hundred years their work boasted the most prestigious lace pedigree in Italy, if not the world.

The work was extremely arduous. In fact, each woman specialised in a single stitch, and since there are seven stitches in total, each piece would have to be passed from woman to woman to finish. One handmade lace centerpiece for a tablecloth could take a month to complete.

Eventually, competition from French lacemakers signalled the end of an era for Burano lace. However, the tradition never died, as mothers continued to pass on the skill to their daughters and granddaughters. The art of Venetian lacemaking ceased large scale production and returned to its origins as a private, domestic occupation. Many women returned to bobbin lace, a faster and therefore more economical technique for creating edgings for table linen and other accessories.

In 1872 the Scuola di Merletti, or Lace School, opened thanks to the patronage of Countess Adriana Marcello, Princess Margherita of Savoy and several other noblewomen, who agreed to purchase the work produced by the school. The Lace School closed in 1961 after a series of financial difficulties, but it then became a Lace Museum in 1981 and now occupies two former gothic palaces. It is worthwhile visiting to see lacemakers working this meticulous art.

Dalla Lidia, on Via Galuppi, was Burano’s first lace shop and remains one of the last that still makes and sells handmade lace the same way it was done for centuries. However, purely handmade lace is extremely rare today. Much of the lace on Burano is made using machines with hand finishing.

As much as tourism has been the island’s salvation, it is refreshing to wander this tiny island’s cobblestoned streets past ordinary little purple and pink and green houses. Families string their laundry out the front and leave their mops and brooms outside the front door. There are no pretensions when your underwear is strung out for all to see - a common occurrence in Italy.

Super fresh seafood from the sea to plate

Burano is a working fisherman’s island, so you can be guaranteed of amazing seafood. Trattoria al Gatto Nero (the Black Cat) is an institution in Burano. It was established in 1946 and has been owned and run by the same family since 1965. Tourists clamber for an outdoor table, but I prefer inside which has a great vibe with paintings covering the walls and Murano glass chandeliers hanging from the ceilings.

The island of Murano - a long history of Venetian glass making

The island of Murano, located in the northern lagoon, is world famous for its glass making industry. It is made up of seven small islands, linked by bridges, and lies 1.5 kilometres north of Venice. Today, around 4,000 people live on the island, but it was once home to 30,000 people.

Murano was originally settled by the Romans and from the sixth century by people from Altinum and Oderzo in northern Italy, who were escaping barbarian invasion.

At first, the island prospered as a fishing port and for the production of salt. In 1291, because of the fire risks, all the glassmakers in Venice were required to move to Murano. The technique of its glass manufacturers was so closely guarded that there were laws prohibiting them leaving the lagoon for fear that they would share their secrets. In the following century, exports began and the island became famous, initially for glass beads and mirrors.

Aventurine glass was invented on the island which is a technique where metal flecks are embedded in glass for a sparkly look. For a while Murano was the main producer of glass in Europe. The island later became known for chandeliers.

There are around sixty factories on the island with the Seguso family being one of the oldest glass-making dynasties. Their family tradition dates back 23 generations to 1397 and today is in the custody of three brothers. Incredibile!

In 1994, to fight the major imitation problem, a trademark certifying authenticity was introduced. By 2012, about fifty companies were using the Artistic Glass Murano trademark of origin.

It appears that every shop lining the canals sells hand-made glassware, which can be overwhelming. However, it is so picturesque wandering the Fondamenta dei Vetrai, the busiest street on Murano, where you can crisscross the canal over several footbridges. In the Murano Glass Museum you gain an insight into the history of the ancient craft and the chance to admire the most beautiful glassware.

Ci vediamo la prossima settimana.

Deb