Monday, August 29th, 2022 - Bright and Beautiful Burano

One of the other photographers on my trip in Ladakh had mentioned that it was worth taking a trip to Burano, a nearby island, which is noted for its brightly painted houses. So we headed off on an early ferry for the 40 minute ride, in hopes of getting a head start on the other tourists. 

Burano - Sloping Tower of Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Martino Vescovo

I didn't know I was getting a bonus of a leaning - or rather a 'sloping' tower at the parochial church of St. Martin Bishop.

Colors Everywhere

Burano is actually made up of four different islands that are joined by canals. It's the island where fishermen have lived for centuries. There are several stories as to why the houses are all painted different bright colors.

(Photo by Sarah Lamp)

(Because all these places are so close together, I'm not going to caption them all)

One explanation says that the island often gets covered in fog, so they painted the houses all different colors so that the fishermen would be less likely to crash their boats into it and then could find which house was theirs at the end of the workday/night.

Another explanation I read said that because space was limited on the island, people used the area in front of their homes to extend their personal space outside. Painting each house a different color, allowed the residents to be clear about where their territory started and ended.

The island was first settled during Roman times, when the Barbarians were invading the area in the 6th century. Like the Venetians, the ancestors of the people who live here now, retreated to the lagoon to avoid capture and defeat. The original houses were built on pilings over the water and were made of woven cane, covered with mud. They were willing to sacrifice a lot to avoid the Barbarians I think.

(Photo by Sarah Lamp)

It took a few centuries before brick houses appeared - one source says it was 1000 AD.

Now, most of the houses are painted every two years. The amount of different colored paint on this man's legs, suggests he is not the homeowner - he's one of the painters.

 Some of these looks as if they're not following the program! 

Perhaps a citation for this one, too!

The colors have been used by the same families for centuries, but if they want to change it, they have to apply to the government for permission - much like our homeowner's associations. 

Bepi's House

One of the most famous houses in Burano, is Bepi Suà's. We read that the name 'suà' was given to him because he spent so much time outside that he would often be sweaty. He worked for the cinema house, as a janitor, but when it closed, he became the owner of the theatre's projection equipment.

Preserved As it Was in 1985

With that equipment, Bepi would screen movies at this house with a white sheet for the local children and got a license to sell candy. (Two versions of his name 'Suà', say either it means sweaty, or it means candy - take your pick - Google translate doesn't confirm either of those meanings!) Supposedly, he could not afford paint, so his neighbors would give him their paint and he started using it to make different designs. He often changed the design and re-painted it all the time. After he died in 2002, the family chose to maintain the design that had been in place in 1985.

Best Complete View (Photo by Sarah Lamp)

Sadly, it's impossible to see the entire façade, because of a grape vine arbor blocking the view. Sarah captured it most completely in the photo above. I couldn't figure out how he was able to paint like this if they were so strict about colors, but it is fun to see. It's likely he was really just an artist growing up in the wrong place. I enjoyed seeing Bepi Sua's joyful and famous house.

In the same little courtyard as Bepi's house was this one, with the eyelash palm fronds and the cloth covering the door. Mind you, the eyelashes are below the 'eyes', but I thought it made a cool face.

The cloth coverings over the doorways were fairly common here. They allow ventilation through the doors, while maintaining privacy and a semblance of security.

Another oddity we learned about Burano, were these little metal catches that hold the shutters against the wall. They are not unique to Burano. I found that they are called tête de bergère, which translates 'head of the shepherdess'. However, here, the head of the man shows when the shutters are open and the catch is up.....

....whereas a woman's head is visible when the shutters are closed and the catch is not holding the shutter. It looks like a way to announce when the man is home, but it seems the open or closed shutter alone would succeed in doing this. Perhaps it's just a little latent sexism? Cute catches, though.

The evidence of a heavy fishing industry is not easily seen today. We walked along the path on the south end of the island. There were boats, but many did not look as if they were dedicated to fishing. However, it does show the extent of the lagoon, with other, undeveloped islands in the distance showing how it must have looked before people arrived.

The fishing probably was not as important after lace-making began here in the 1500's. Lacemaking waxed and waned, was big in the 1800's and is now facing pressure from Asian sources and apart from a few artisans, is not locally produced. I got a lace scarf from this store and some jewelry made from Murano glass.

Today, tourism is the primary source of income on Burano. Our strategy to get there ahead of most tourists had been successful, but as the stores began to open, more people arrived from Venice.

Burano's Essi

A specialty visitors enjoy is the 'essi' and another cookie called 'bussolà', which is shaped like a donut. They differ mainly due to shape and are made from eggs, flour, sugar and butter. They are vital for Easter celebrations and people will bring their own ingredients to the bakeries to have them cooked to each huseholds specifications with regard to quality of ingredients. We tried a couple. They were pleasant, but not anything astounding.

Trash Pick Up

Of course, lots of daily visitors means there is trash - household and business trash as distinct from litter! For some reason it shocked me to realize that all of it is taken care of by people like these, wheeling carts around, as there are no trucks to take away the garbage. It provides jobs, but I imagine it is expensive to dispose of it all properly. I imagine a big trash boat comes by routinely and takes it to a dump site on the mainland.

My favorite bridge on the island was this brick and metal one, with the church behind it. I thought the reflections with the boat framed by the bridge were lovely.

I also enjoyed window details.....

....religious iconography.....

....and (perhaps you are surprised?) laundry! In this case, I had the pleasure of seeing it being pinned to the lines.

Art Work in Progress (Photo by Sarah Lamp)

Sarah and I had enjoyed our wanderings here enormously. We were headed toward a neighboring island, Mazzorbo, which is connected by a very short foot bridge. On our way we must have stumbled into the 'artist's' district. Here the colors were again, great fun. In the far left corner, I noticed something like a boot hanging down.

An Old Fisherman's boot?

I had to zoom through the wire, but this is the humorous creation I found. I wanted to believe it really was an old fisherman's boot that was taking on another life.

Mazzorbo

We could see Mazzorbo on the other side of the waterway. Although the buildings were painted different colors, they didn't have the vibrancy of Burano's houses.

A Totally Different Feel

It's only a footbridge away from Burano, but Mazzorbo was a totally different world! The houses are painted, but they look as if there are multiple dwellings in each palette. Wiki says this island was settled at the same time as Burano, but like many of the other islands had declined. It was once an important trading center, but is now known for its vineyards and orchards. Attempts at redevelopment along the style of Burano were attempted in the 1980's, but I didn't see any evidence of tourism here. Its low population has led to it being attractive for religious institutions - it houses five monasteries and five churches.

The Canal of Our Last Dinner in Venice (Photo by Sarah Lamp)

We had enjoyed our day and headed back to Venice where we ate our last lovely meal together along a canal. It had been a good day.