Murano and Burano
The glass furnaces exiled in 1291 over fires, and a village of painted houses.
Duration
4 hrs – 7 hrs
Best time
Early morning
Open
Every day
Entry price
Free
In 1291 the Republic ordered every glassmaker in Venice to move to Murano: their furnaces were setting fire to a city built entirely of wood. The masters gained considerable privileges there and an absolute ban on leaving the lagoon — the secret was worth an industry.
Burano, forty minutes further out, lived on needle lace and fishing. Its houses are painted in strong colours, each different from its neighbours: tradition says it was so fishermen could pick out their own in the fog, and the town hall still approves the colour before any repainting.
Getting there
Vaporetto line 12 from Fondamente Nove: Murano ten minutes, Burano forty. The line serves both on the same run.
Rules on site
The free glass-blowing demonstrations end in a showroom you don't leave without insisting. Much of the "Murano glass" sold in Venice comes from Asia: the Vetro Artistico Murano label is the only controlled one.
