Sicilian Culture: The News: Watch Craftsman At Work While Touring The Islands of Venice

Sicilian Culture

The People, The History, The Culture

The News & Views
Watch Craftsman At Work While Touring The Islands of Venice
By Roy Leonard, Chicago Daily Herald
August 27, 2001 - - I don't think you can really appreciate what creative craftsmen can do until you watch them work. It's one thing to admire a piece of beautifully blown glass in a shop window or the delicate workmanship of lovely lace, but to be there when the artist's vision begins to take shape is a special treat.
Our recent journey through northern Italy brought us to Venice, where two of the many islands that make up the Venetian Lagoon provided an opportunity to watch artists at work.
We stopped at the Café Quadri in St. Mark's Square for a gelato on a warm July day. It was only a short walk to the water taxi that took us to the islands of Murano and Burano.
Burano lies about six miles from Venice, and unlike other islands in the lagoon, it has no imposing palaces. Instead, the distinctive homes, all about the same height, offer a palette of color from deep reds to vivid yellows and intense blues. Legend has it that the houses were painted so a tired fisherman, who spent a little too much time at the local pub, could find his house by its color.
Burano always has attracted artists and painters. In the 16th century, with the invention of the 'punto in aria,' the art of lacemaking with a needle was born and it immediately became the specialty of Burano. The elegance of the Burano work became so popular with the nobility of Europe that a school for the art opened here.
Although the industry has had its ups and downs, real Burano lace is very expensive today because it takes three years for 10 women to make a single tablecloth. Wander through some lovely shops to find what you're looking for and pause to watch one of the elders practice her art.
Murano, the largest of the islands that make up the lagoon, became a center for glassmaking in 1291 when all the glassmakers of Venice were asked to move to the island as a security precaution. All of the city was constructed mainly of wood and people lived in constant fear of fire - and you need a lot of fire to make glass. Soon Murano became Europe's principal supplier of glass.
However, the best was yet to come. In the 1850s, a new type of glass furnace was developed. Modern-day marketing came into play when some outstanding new works that had intricate curlicue fantasies etched in glass were shown at a London exhibit. The artistic designs and artisan skills of the traditional Murano glassmakers now had worldwide attention.
You can watch these men perform their craft in demonstrations. It is amazing what they can do. We looked on as one artist took a blob of red-hot molten glass and, by twisting and turning and then trimming with iron tools, fashioned a horse standing on his hind legs in a matter of two or three minutes. Of course, the Murano glassmakers also invite you to their elaborate showrooms where everything from cocktail glasses to chandeliers are on display and for sale, with insured shipping guaranteed.
Numerous sightseeing excursions, as well as the regular vaporetti (the typical Venetian public boats), take you to the islands. Line 12 leaves every 30 minutes from Fondamente Nuove and stops at both Murano and Burano; Line 14 departs every 50 minutes from St. Mark's Square and stops at the Lido and Burano.
Remember, the city of Venice is built on 117 small islands that were formed about 6,000 years ago after the last Ice Age formed what is now the Venetian Lagoon. It has taken about five centuries for humans to try to balance the needs of nature and mankind in this unique environment. At the moment, nature is winning as the city slowly sinks into the sea. Don't wait too long to make that visit.
Write to Roy Leonard in care of Going Places, Daily Herald, PO Box 280, Arlington Heights IL 60006
Daily Herald: Suburban Chicago's Information Source
www.dailyherald.com/travel/travel_story.asp?intID=371304

HOME

Search || News & Views || People || History || Region || Language || Food || Cinema || Links || Contact Info