Piazza Baldassare Galuppi is the only real square in the whole of Burano, dedicated to the 18th century musician who was of course a proud Buranelo. The Church of San Martino Vescovo which faces the square is shaped like a large hut with its rather simple-looking exterior. Inside, however, there are some unique works of art, most importantly an 18th century Crucifixion by Tiepolo. The leaning campanile is the symbol of Burano, and like Torcello’s belltower, still has a crucial role in providing a reference point for fishermen or sailors in the lagoon, especially on foggy days.
The coloured houses
As you will have noticed, Burano is also the island of coloured houses, from red, purple, pink to green, blue,
yellow and many more. Most houses are painted in bright and vivid colours, perhaps to give a welcome contrast to the subtler, darker shades of the lagoon; the reason for it all is to mark the precise boundaries of a family’s property, which ends where the colour ends. In the past it was the Council who decided what colour a house would be, but this has changed recently, and every household can choose to paint their house any way they wish. No better example than Bepi’s house, also called the Lego house, for its eclectic mix of different colours and shapes.
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