The Islands Of The Lagoon: Murano, Burano, Torcello

If you stay in Venice for a few days, it might be very interesting to add a tour

of the islands to your travel plan, to discover unique sights, which seem to belong to another epoch.

Murano is probably the most famous island of the lagoon, and it owes its fame to the typical process of glass blowing: it is on this island that all the workshops of glassmakers have been concentrating since the end of the 13th century, when all the foundries were transferred here from Venice to avoid the danger of fires. Since then the art of glass has developed and Murano glass creations are now well-known all over the world. In order to understand how glassmakers succeed in giving birth to their wonderful creations it might be interesting to visit one of their workshops and watch while they create jewels, vases, ornaments etc.

However, Murano is not only glass: in the past, and above all in the 16th century, Murano was very lively and busy, and it hosted palaces, villas, churches and monasteries. These buildings, together with the conformation of the island itself (Murano rises on seven islands and is crossed by its own personal Grand Canal) made the island similar to a small Venice. Nowadays there are not many of the buildings and churches of the past, but those that have survived are certainly worth a visit. The Basilica dei Santi Maria e Donato hosts an important mosaic floor, the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli is characterised by its high campanile (31 metres) of the 16th century, while the Chiesa di San Pietro Martire is made precious by some Bellinis works and by glass lamps. Among the attractions of the islands there are also the Murano Lighthouse, the Gothic and Venetian-Byzantine Palazzo da Mula and Palazzo Giustinian, which hosts the Glass Museum.

The tour of the lagoon islands goes on with Burano. While Murano is famous for handmade glass, Burano is well-known for the production of handmade lace, which has spread in this area starting from the 16th century. Another typical feature of the island is given by the colourful houses: each house is coloured with a different and very bright colour, which brings joy by just looking at it. Also Burano, like Venice and Murano, is built on various islands which are connected to each other through bridges and canals, and it was of a burial of a canal that Piazza Baldassare Galoppi, the core of the city, was born. In Murano there is only one church, the Church of San Marino, which is famous above all for the Crucifixion by Tiepolo and for the leaning campanile.

The third island, Torcello, became, as well as Murano and Burano, a refuge for the populations of Altino during the barbarian invasions, and in the past it was one of the most flourishing and populous areas of the lagoon. Nowadays Torcello is home to only few dozen people, but many tourists visit the island to enjoy its historical and artistic heritage, which includes the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, with its Byzantine mosaic representing the Last Judgement, the Church of Santa Fosca, a rare example of a Greek cross church in Venice, the Museo Provinciale di Torcello, the so-called Attilas Throne and the Devils Bridge, one of the most ancient bridges in Venice.

by: Francesca Tessarollo

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