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Background to Burano
Burano is a 40-minute six-mile boat ride to the north of the
lagoon in Venice. It has a population of 7,000. Burano offers
a different pace of life to Venice - this is the life of the
lagoon. There is only one modest guest house on the island
and islanders treat the streets like their front rooms and
can be seen outside doing such activities as ironing, making
lace, and frying fish.
Burano's lace making traditions
While the men of Burano fish, the women uphold the island's
lace making traditions. The story goes that a sailor,
leaving his fiancée at Burano, came across a mermaid
while out at sea who shook her tail and whipped up a crown
of sea foam which became a bridal veil for the sailors betrothed.
Later the young girls of the island copied the veil with needle
and thread. The reality is that the women of the island used
to repair their husbands fishing nets while they were away
and probably started lace-making out of boredom.
The Burano tradition of the 'punta in aria' (air stitch)
dates back to the fourteenth century, when the Duchess
Morosina Morosini, wife of Doge Morosini, set up
a lace workshop on the island and employed over 100 people.
By the sixteenth century, the lace was renowned for its quality
across Europe - Louis XIV of France wore a black collar
of Burano lace that took two years to make. By the eighteenth
century, Burano lace had lost much of its cachet and became
perilously close to extinction, but it was revived in the
late nineteenth century by Contessa Marcello and by
the start of the twentieth century Venice and the islands
between them employed some 5,000 lace makers in seven major
factories. Nowadays, real Burano lace is a phenomenally expensive
luxury and a dying art since it takes three years for ten
women to make a single tablecloth.
Where to buy Burano lace
Choose carefully if you plan to buy lace on Burano as these
days much of the cheaper stuff is imported from China. You
can still occasionally see women working away at their lacy
creations in the shade of their homes and in the parks. The
Museo del Merletto explores the craft and history of
Burano lace.
For a closer view of Burano lace without the cost visit the
Dalla Lidia - Lace Gallery. The gallery houses both
modern and antique pieces of various shapes and workmanship
including a fan belonging to Louis XIV, a 1,280 centimetre
long mat, a bedspread made for Napoleon Bonaparte's son, a
handkerchief for the coronation of Napoleon embroidered
with a design of five eagles, and eighteenth century embroidered
parasols with ivory handles. The shop has the island's best
and widest variety of items for sale including handkerchiefs,
tablecloths, and spreads.
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