A BEAUTIFUL CHARMING PLACE FOR LACE

BURANO - ITALY

One of the most beautiful places in the world to visit for its exquisite lace is Burano, Italy, with its brightly colored houses and equally colorful history.

Burano is a little archipelago, made up of 4 tiny islands, connected by a series of quaint bridges in the Venetian lagoon, about 9 km from Venice, Italy.

Settled by the Romans, in the 6th century, Burano became world-famous for lace making in the 15th century.

According to one legend, a fisherman brought a piece of lacy seaweed home to his fiancée, and she was so inspired by its beauty, she tried to replicate it with her needlework.

Another legend claims that lace had its origins as a siren’s wedding veil.

Known as Venetian lace, Burano’s lace became highly prized. In 1481, Leonardo da Vinci bought lace for the main altar of the Duomo di Milano. King Louis XIV was said to have worn a Burano lace collar for his coronation.

Check out the Museo del Merletto, a museum dedicated to the history and artistry of Burano’s lace, located within the walls of the island’s lacemaking school.

Besides its lace, Burano is especially beautiful thanks to its ultra-colorful houses. There’s a legend behind this too! As it is told, fisherman painted their homes in bright colors, each to match the bright color of his boat. Some say, it was to help drunken fishermen find their way home.

The colors are so bright, they almost look photoshopped. They are kept fresh and intense, as homes are repainted every 2 years.

The unique colors of these houses have been in families for centuries. Anyone wanting to alter the color of a house on Burano, needs special permission from the government.

While lace making on the island has declined significantly with time, you can still see women sitting outside their shops, making the lace they sell inside.

One of the best places to buy lace on Burano are Merletti d’Arte Martina, which offers a gorgeous selection of lace blouses, as well as fine table and bed linens. It also features a small museum of antique lace. Enjoy a cappuccino and some special Buranesi cookies in their back garden.

You can find more contemporary lace fashions at a number of shops on Burano as well.

After a day of lace shopping, check out the black cuttlefish risotto and other local delights at Da Romano, a superb trattoria and art gallery, housed in a former lace factory. You’ll be following in the footsteps of Henri Matisse, Joan Miro, Katharine Hepburn, Robert De Niro, Charlie Chaplin, Federico Fellini, Ernest Hemingway, David Bowie, and Keith Richards, who have all left their mark there.

Read more about Beautiful Lace in Wearable Lace Architecture, Incredible Lace Jewelry, The Lacy Wings Of Dragonflies Now, Have Your Lace & Eat It Too! and See Magnificent Precision-Cut Paper Lace Sculptures.

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact Daily Fix posts.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by O Palsson. “The colors of Burano Island.” Burano, Italy.
2. Image: by Frans de Wit. “Tour de Suisse par l'Extérieur.” Burano, Italy.
3. Image: by Avital Pinnick. “Museo del Merletto, Burano.” Burano, Italy.
4. Image: by Avital Pinnick. “Museo del Merletto, Burano.” Burano, Italy.
5. Image: by Avital Pinnick. “Museo del Merletto, Burano.” Burano, Italy.
6. Image: by Avital Pinnick. “Museo del Merletto, Burano.” Burano, Italy.
7. Image: by Giampiero Ridella. “Burano street.” Burano, Italy.
8. Image: by Kevin Poh. “Colorful Burano Houses.” Burano, Italy.
9. Image: by John Bugg. “Look around Burano.” Burano, Italy.
10. Image: by Pat. “TOMBOLO!” A 92-year-old lacemaker in Burano. Burano, Italy.
11. Image: by Peter Visser. “Burano.” Burano, Italy.
12. Image: by ClixYou. “Burano Lace / Encaje de Burano.” Burano, Italy.
13. Image: by seventyoneplace. “In the kitchen at Da Romano Trattoria.” Burano, Italy.
14. Image: View from a lace shop. Burano, Italy. Courtesy of I Love Venezia. Burano, Italy.
15. Image: by Chad Goddard. “Burano.” Burano, Italy.
16. Image: by BN App - Download now!
17. Image: Lace Tapestry. Courtesy of Lace Museum of Venice. Burano, Italy.