Burano, Inhabited island in Venetian Lagoon, Italy

Burano is an inhabited island in the Venetian lagoon, roughly 40 minutes by water bus from the city center. Small canals run through the island, lined with houses in strong blue, pink, yellow and green that reflect in the water.

Tradition holds that Burano was founded by refugees from the Roman city of Altino fleeing Hunnic and Lombard invasions; it is first documented in 840 as Burani in the Pactum Lotharii. From the 13th century it was governed by the podestà of Torcello, and in the 16th century the podestà moved to Burano. Needle lace making, introduced from Venetian-ruled Cyprus, brought prosperity until trade declined in the 18th century; a lace school opened in 1872. Burano joined the municipality of Venice in 1923.

The name Burano probably comes from a landowner called Bu(r)rius or Borius, not from a gate of Altino. Needle lace arrived in the 16th century via Venetian-ruled Cyprus, and a lacemaking school opened in 1872. In Piazza Baldassare Galuppi, the only square, stand the Lace Museum, the Town Hall, an Istrian-stone well and Remigio Barbaro's statue of the composer Baldassare Galuppi, born here in 1706.

Water bus line 12 leaves from Fondamente Nove and reaches the island in roughly 40 minutes, with departures every 30 minutes. It is best to come early in the morning or late afternoon when fewer visitors are around.

The city administration has set which shades are allowed for each house, and anyone who wants to repaint must submit a request. Most buildings also have a small garden behind the house where residents grow vegetables or hang laundry.