A plaque marks the house where the mother and sisters of the Italian General, Cimbro Pettinau, lived, and where he stayed when he visited them.
A plaque on a nearby wall pays tribute to Gino Rossi, the painter who settled in Burano, and who drew his inspiration from the Venetian lagoon, and the multi-hued houses of the town.
The island of Mazzorbo is connected to Burano by a wooden footbridge. Mazzorbo is considered the site of one of the earliest settlements in the lagoon. In fact, in 1881, archaeologists discovered Mycenaean pottery on the island, which dated from 1600 through 1100 BC. Over the centuries, the island was abandoned. It was not until the 1980’s, when people began to move back to the island, that it came back to life. Today, it is home to a handful of families, as well as a Michelin-starred restaurant, with the rest of the island being used mainly as vineyards and orchards. This is where we were now headed.
One of the first things one encounters on the island is a small, lovely walled park, called Öffentlicher Park. Built on the grounds of the now demolished Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo, the park is a nice place to rest, or cool down in the shade of trees, and escape from the crowds in nearby Burano.
For a while, the site the park sits on was used as a cemetery and, during this period, a small brick chapel dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta was built. This remains standing today.
Of the original Church of San Michele Arcangelo, all that remains is the campanile, or bell tower. Even though the exact date of its construction is uncertain, it is known that it dates from before 1318, as it is recorded that in that year, one of the three bells at the top of the tower was added to the structure. Today, the campanile is off limits to tourists, as it is in a bad state of decay, and is considered dangerous.
If you follow the walkway along the waterfront of Mazzorbo, after about ten minutes, you will come to the restaurant Venissa. This one-star Michelin restaurant also has rooms it rents, for overnight stays. We were unable to get a reservation during our visit to Burano, but next time, we will hopefully get to try the food!
Another restaurant on the island of Mazzorbo is the Trattoria alla Maddalena, located just a few minutes further down the walkway from Venissa.
Next up: We continue to explore Mazzorbo, with a visit to the Chiesa di Santa Caterina!
Note: This blog is written in English and Spanish, and the author takes no responsibility for the quality of any other translations that may appear. If you have enjoyed this post, please, check out our archives for more posts from Burano, as well as other Italian destinations. Grazie!