Burano

Burano, Italy

Burano, northeastern suburb of Venice, northeastern Italy, comprising four islets in the Laguna Veneta (Venice Lagoon). The settlement is thought to have been founded in the 5th century by refugees from nearby Altino, fleeing in the path of Attila. The 16th-century church of S. Martino has paintings by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. In the 16th century, lacemaking was fostered there, and Venetian point laces, especially the lace known as Punto di Burano, were produced until the late 18th century, when the industry died out. A lacemaking school was founded in 1872 to revive the industry and to combat local poverty, and Burano is now one of the last surviving centres of hand lacemaking. Fishing is also an important economic factor.