We stepped outside our Hotel and hopped on the vapporetto.
Murano’s reputation as a center for glass making was born when the Venetian Republic, fearing fire and the destruction of the city’s mostly wooden buildings, ordered glass makers to move their foundries to Murano in 1291. Murano glass is still associated with Venetian glass.
Murano's glass makers were soon numbered among the island’s most prominent citizens. By the 14th century, glass makers were allowed to wear swords, enjoyed immunity from prosecution by the Venetian state, and found their daughters married into Venice’s most affluent families. While benefiting from certain statutory privileges, glass makers were forbidden to leave the Republic. However, many of them took the risks associated with migration and established glass furnaces in surrounding cities and farther afield - sometimes in England and the Netherlands.
Murano’s glass makers held a monopoly on high-quality glass making for centuries, developing or refining many technologies including crystalline glass, enameled glass (smalto), glass with threads of gold (aventurine), multicolored glass (millefori), milk glass (lattimo), and imitation gemstones made of glass. Today, the artisans of Murano still employ these centuries-old techniques, crafting everything from contemporary art glass and glass jewelry to Murano glass chandeliers and wine stoppers.
Today, Murano is home to the Museo del Vetro or Murano Glass Museum in the Palazzo Giustinian, which holds displays on the history of glass making as well as glass samples ranging from Egyptian times through the present day.
Some of the companies that own historical glass factories in Murano are among the most important brands of glass in the world. These companies include Venini, Ferro Murano, Barovier & Toso, Simone Cenedese and Seguso. Today, to protect the original Murano Glass art from foreign markets, the most famous Glass Factories of this island have a Trade mark that certifies products in glass made in the island of Murano.
The oldest Murano glass factory that is still active today is that of Pauly & C. - Compagnia Venezia Murano, founded in 1866.
The island is very picturesque with the bright buildings and canals. Even the flowers in the flower boxes were made of glass.
By this time we were about done in by the heat and decided to look for a cool spot to grab a bite of Lunch. We found a Pizza place that was indoors and somewhat air conditioned and crashed.
After the grocery store we headed to the vaporetto stop to head to Burano. The island was probably settled by the Romans, and in the 6th century was occupied by people from Altino, who named it for one of the gates of their former city. Two stories are attributed to how the city obtained its name. One is that it was initially founded by the Buriana family, and another is that the first settlers of Burano came from the small island of Buranello, to the south.
Although the island soon became a thriving settlement, it was administered from Torcello and had none of the privileges of that island or of Murano. It rose in importance only in the 16th century, when women on the island began making lace with needles, being introduced to such a trade via Venetian-ruled Cyprus. When Leonardo da Vinci visited in 1481, he visited the small town of Lefkara and purchased a cloth for the main altar of the Duomo di Milano. The lace was soon exported across Europe, but trade began to decline in the 18th century and the industry did not revive until 1872, when a school of lace making was opened.
Lace making on the island boomed again, but few now make lace in the traditional manner as it is extremely time-consuming and therefore expensive.
Burano is also known for its small, brightly-painted houses, popular with artists. The colors of the houses follow a specific system originating from the golden age of its development; if someone wishes to paint their home, one must send a request to the government, who will respond by making notice of the certain colors permitted for that lot.
Other attractions include the Church of San Martino, with a leaning (at the same degree angle as the Leaning Tower of Pisa) campanile and a painting by Giambattista Tiepolo (Crufixion, 1727), the Oratorio di Santa Barbara and the Museum and School of Lacemaking.
As we wandered the streets of Burano we indulged in some gelato. My choice - Lemon. It was cool and refreshing and the best Lemon gelato I have had on the trip.
Buonanotte!
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