Burano Italy
The wee island is located in the same lagoon as Venice, but its colors pop and fizzle in a way that makes it feel almost tropical.
The island was probably settled by the Romans, and in the 6th century was occupied by people from Altino, who named it for one of the gates of their former city. Two stories are attributed to how the city obtained its name. One is that it was initially founded by the Buriana family, and another is that the first settlers of Burano came from the small island of Buranello, about 8 kilometres (5 miles) to the south.
Although the island soon became a thriving settlement, it was administered from Torcello and had none of the privileges of that island or of Murano. It rose in importance only in the 16th century, when women on the island began making lace with needles, being introduced to such a trade via Venetian-ruled Cyprus. When Leonardo da Vinci visited in 1481, he visited the small town of Lefkara and purchased a cloth for the main altar of the Duomo di Milano. The lace was soon exported across Europe, but trade began to decline in the 18th century and the industry did not revive until 1872, when a school of lacemaking was opened. Lacemaking on the island boomed again,
but few now make lace in the traditional manner as it is extremely time-consuming and therefore expensive.
Burano is also known for its small, brightly painted houses, which are popular with artists. The colours of the houses follow a specific system originating from the golden age of its development; if someone wishes to paint their home, one must send a request to the government, who will respond by making notice of the certain colours permitted for that lot.
Other attractions include the Church of San Martino, with a leaning campanile and a painting by Giambattista Tiepolo (Crufixion, 1727), the Oratorio di Santa Barbara and the Museum and School of Lacemaking.
The houses on Burano obviously follow a special color pattern, dating to the island's "golden age" when it was first becoming developed. If you live on Burano and wish to paint your house, you must send a letter to the government, and they'll reply telling you which colors you're allowed to paint your lot.
Legend says that the island's fisherman were the first to paint their houses in bright colors, so they could see them while they were out fishing.
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Lacemaking is another one of little Burano's big highlights. The women of the island have been experts at lace since the 1400s, when Leonardo da Vinci himself visited to shop for cloth that he used on the altar at the Duomo di Milano.
Nowadays, lace stores and ice cream shops and artisan kiosks clutter Burano's narrow streets
