A Sunday in Burano

Choose Burano for an unhurried Sunday excursion. This small island is a bit far from Venice (about 40-50 minutes by boat) but it will be worth it. It is relaxing because it is easy to visit, full of parks and green areas, but also sparkling and colourful, full of opportunities to experience.

First of all, lose yourself in the secrets of “merletto”, a special kind of lace that, unlike embroidery, does not require fabric. It comes from nothing, or rather from the dance between thread, needle, and skilled feminine hands that create light and transparent chiaroscuro. Fruits, flowers, leaves, stars, crosses, and other simple and geometric motifs characterize the ancient workmanship, handed down from mother to daughter with evolutions of style which are ever more elegant and refined. In Burano you will see many types of lace but remember that the original one is very expensive and difficult to find because it takes a long time to make it. In the past, in fact, it was used to hem the most important objects such as wedding sheets and sacred cloths. An enchanting technique to be discovered by visiting the lace museum and watching the hands of women leaning on the pillows, moving in frequent demonstrations in the stores of the island and maybe buying a small butterfly to frame (expect to pay about 100 euros).

Another souvenir that cannot be missed are the typical egg pasta cookies, the bussolà and their "esse" variant the buranelli, without confusing them with the bussolà breadsticks from Chioggia. They are simple but nutritious sweets, once prepared by the wives of fishermen who brought the cookies with them to face the long periods of fishing with more energy. Ask to taste the hard ones because that is how the traditional ones really are, made to last for a long time: in stores they are also offered in a crumblier form. If you feel hungry, stop by one of the typical trattorias for lunch and try the risotto di gò, or ghiozzo, a small fish that lives only around the lagoon.

Once considered a poor dish, this fish full of bones in Burano ended up in risotto and not in soups. A destiny that has made it a delicacy today, prepared with such care and attention. Because certain things, as we know, need time to be done well and the traditional craftsmanship of Burano teaches us this.