Murano & Burano
1 day trip from Padua
The Colors of the Lagoon
The most fascinating islands of the Venetian lagoon are certainly Murano and Burano: the first is famous all over the world for its glass manufacturing, the second for the manufacturing of lace, these two little realities captivate the tourists for their colorful towns and boats. Murano, such as Venice, has the shape of a small archipelago since it is composed of seven smaller islands connected by bridges and canals.
The art of Murano glass began in 1291, when all the glassware, previously located in Venice, were transferred on the smaller island, so as to avoid the numerous fires that raged from the glassworks and that had already involved a lot of wooden houses of the Serenissima. So it happened that the glassmakers and their workers found themselves confined in the island of Murano with the ban on travel from Venice without special permission, because their art had to remain on site, so that no one could copy it. When the crisis struck glass objects, due to the competition represented by Bohemian crystal (probably inspired by the glasswork of the master glass blowers who had managed to escape from Venice), the glassmakers overcame through the creation of very special light fixtures, today product symbol of glassmaking in Murano.
A must for those who come to Murano in the day of December 6th, the feast of San Nicolò (St. Nicholas), the patron of glassmakers: during the event glasswares are festively illuminated, also take place involving initiatives and a wide variety of attractions and events. Burano is an island characterized by bright colors: its beautiful houses, of three floors maximum, are painted with very bright colors, a technique that once served to better define the property. According to some, also, the bright colors of the houses allowed sailors to recognize their own houses from a distance and then steer the boat to return, in the proper trajectory.
The area of Burano is famous for its lace: these products are derived from an ancient craft tradition, which began in 1500 and even today handed down. Thanks to conservation in the Museum of Lace of the finest work, the same that were once worked in the Lace School, it is possible to admire the most ancient craftsmanship.
In Burano have also born musicians of great renown such as Baldassare Galuppi, personality of the eighteenth century to whom is dedicated the square of the island, and Pino Donaggio, Italian singer-songwriter born in 1941, composer of soundtracks for many national and international movies: the two artists, although belonging to different periods, are united by having dedicated their life to music and having achieved successful works.