I'm just back from a quick trip to Italy and one of the spots I dashed through (yes, literally dashed, when you have just a few days in a place like Venice you move quickly!) was the quaint island of Burano. A short ferry (or water taxi) ride from Venice, Burano's tiny, narrow streets are filled with the most colorful facades …
… I've ever seen. From eye-popping brights to rich warm terracottas this town has cornered the market on celebrating exterior paint color diversity. You know how most small towns have a colorful home that everyone can use as a place marker? "Oh, two blocks past that lime green house - sure - I know it!" Well that wouldn't work in Burano - every house is "that" house.
The lore is that the homes were painted so vibrantly as a way to help the fisherman of the town navigate safely back home on foggy days. I can't say whether that would actually work, but I can attest to the fact that it would be nearly impossible to not crack a surprised smile as you round the corners of the mazelike streets and discover the shocking color combinations that seem as if the neighbors must coordinate for maximum effect!
Other sweet Burano style details spotted:
• Wide carnival style stripes
• Potted plants on the windowills
• Laundry drying on the lines
• Fabric drapes on the exterior of the doors
• Dark shutters on most windows
I went to Burano to see the old style of lace making that has been done on the island for many many years as part of a trip to find out about the production of SFERRA linens, the luxury bedding brand about to celebrate their 120th anniversary. More posts to follow from the Italian adventure!
MORE EXTERIOR COLOR ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• Bright & Beautiful Burano Houses
• The Most Popular Home Exterior Color
• The Exterior Paint Files: Rusty Terracotta Reds
Images: Janel Laban
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Oh, how I miss Venice! Please go on posting :)
My father and his sister were born and raised on Burano - He ended up working in a glass factory on Murano, the next island over, while his sister went to the lace-making school on Burano. The locals pronounce the island "Buran'" in dialect. As for the house paint, it's actually community-mandated! No one can change the color of their house without a town meeting, and it is organized to stand out from its neighboring houses as much as possible, in order to differentiate between the case so that it's easy to tell where each house ends and begins. The house my father grew up in in the 40s and 50s has since been split into two, so it's now half pink and half red. This island is my favorite place in the world.
Although I lived in Venice ten years ago, I never made it to Burano. When I returned this year, that was one of the few things I HAD to do. It's easy to think that you only see pictures of a row or two of houses and that it couldn't possibly be as amazing and wonderful all over the island, but it is! Wonderful post, wonderful photos. @jrossi217, thank you for that tidbit of information!
Burano is a must-see to anyone who wants to be filled with wonder!
I haven't been to Italy yet, but I certainly look forward to it.
The most colorful town in Canada would have to be St. John's, Newfoundland. It's a fishing town as well, I wonder if their reasons for having colorful exteriors are the same as those in Burano.
I don't know if you are saying that Burano has the most colorful homes in the world....meaning that is the only place "in the world" like that.
Old San Juan in Puerto Rico is just as colorful like Burano.
Ferry? No no, mia cara -- vaporetto.
LOVE Burano!
GREAT pictures
@1120mggs, any place in the Caribbean really.
Hey, we were there last week too! (we stayed in the San Polo district)
In relation to St. John's and other Canadian fishing towns, I was always under the impression that the bright colours were originally to help fisherman find their way home in the fog (and to add a little bright and cheeriness to otherwise foggy lifestyles).
Ooops, should have read the article before reading the comments.
I got stuck having lunch in Burano - it was one of the highlights of my trip!
What about el barrio La Boca in Buenos Aires? Very colorful houses AND people:
http://gosouthamerica.about.com/od/balodgings/ig/La-Boca--Buenos-Aires-Photo-Ga/
I've been to Burano twice and I love taking pictures there because of the vibrantly colored houses. It's a photographer's dream. My favorite shot from my last trip is an old woman walking along an alley with colorful houses on each side and trees framing the edges of the photo.
The other reason why I love this island is the insanely delicious risotto.