| The trip to discover the Lagoon's islands has an especially intriguing edge to it, thanks to the enchanting characteristics of the landscape that one can admire from the motorboat. Flora and fauna reign undisputed in these places, where the small, typical lagoon watercraft (sandoli, mascarete and the more modern cacciapesca boats) are the only ones able to travel in the shallow waters of the ghebi canals. |  |
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The first island
that one comes to is Burano.
This fisherman's island has a strong identity and its brightly coloured
houses are its most striking characteristic. It is famous the world
over for its lace production, proudly displayed at the Lace Museum near
to the square dedicated to the famous musician Baldassare Galuppi.
Excellent restaurants make a visit to the island an extremely pleasant
culinary experience.
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Opposite Burano is the island of Torcello, the first settlement of what was later to become Venice. In the period of greatest expansion it reached 10,000 inhabitants, but it is now home to just a handful of residents. The centre of the island features the Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption, which dates from 639 and that houses priceless Byzantine mosaics, the adjacent church of St. Fosca and the Estuary Museum, which boasts a great many archaeological finds from the Venetian Lagoon. Ancient legends provided names for two singular monuments: the Devil's Bridge and Attila's Throne. |
| Continuing the itinerary one comes to Murano, the best known of the three islands. Murano is the world's blown glass capital and bustles with furnaces still in use today's and that still employ the same production methods as those invented by the master glass-blowers centuries ago. The Glass Museum houses pieces of great artistic value and exquisite craftsmanship. Another destination worthy of a visit is the Church of St. Mary and St. Donald, one of the lagoon's oldest places of worship, an excellent example of the Romanic-Byzantine style whose glass and marble mosaic floor remains intact |  |
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Some More Pictures of the Isalnds of
Burano, Torcello and
Murano
(allow the script)
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