L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 18 L'Italo-Americano B urano is one of t h e t h r e e p i c - turesque islands – the other two are Murano an d Torcello - that share the lagoon with Venezia. Burano is known for two things: its lace- m a k i n g t r a d i t i o n a n d the bright colors of its hous- es. If you have been to Burano, you know exactly what I mean: every home, both those along the canals and those lining the calli, are painted in vivacious shades that go from deep yel- low to hot pink, from sky blue to red and pea green. On a sunny day, the view is just a joy for the heart, something that puts you in a good mood i n s t a n t l y a n d g i v e s t o t h e i s l a n d a s p e c i a l b e a u t y : o f course, the choice to paint their homes so colorfully must be only one of beauty, right? Well, not really… Before delving into the story of its homes, let's say some- thing more about the island. It was first occupied when the people of Altino, the ancient settlement Venice was to origi- nate from, escaped from the Barbarians who had invaded the area towards the end of the Western Roman Empire, and moved to the safer islands of t h e l a g o o n : M a z z o r b o , Torcello, Murano, Ammiano, Costanziaco and Burano. In fact, Burano was directly con- nected to Altino via a gate called Porta Boreana, which is w h e r e t h e n a m e " B u r a n o " originates. The early inhabitants of B u r a n o h a d f a i r l y h u m b l e dwellings, with walls made with wood and mud and it was only at a later stage, when R o m a n i n f l u e n c e b e c a m e stronger, that masonry build- ings appeared. Burano devel- oped an economy largely based on fishing and was known to be one of the most salubrious areas in the lagoon, a place where malaria – which was a notorious issue around there - was never a problem. The community developed, healthy but with relatively modest economic means, not enough for people to spend time and money on their homes' external appearance. Things however were to change towards the end of the 15th century, when the prosperous industry of handmade lace was established: soon, the ability of local lace-makers made Burano famous all over Europe, bring- ing wealth and prominence to its people. But now, let's go back to its houses and their colors. The custom likely began in the same period the lace-making business created more wealth around the island, and devel- oped within its fishing commu- nity. Legends say that, because of the fog that shrouds often the island when the weather gets colder, fishermen could not find their own homes in the thick morning mist surround- ing them, so they would paint the exterior in very bright and unique colors to make them more visible and recognizable. There is also another version of the story, one that is even more colorful – no pun intended here – and always involved fisher- men; it seems that, back in the day, they had quite a penchant for good wine and, sometimes, they could find their home on the way back from the tavern. For this reason, they didn't only begin to paint their home with vivid and very recognizable col- ors but, apparently, their wives would tie a piece of fabric the same color of their house to their arm before they went drinking so, in case they passed out somewhere, people would know which home they belonged to! Burano's women are also at the center of another version of the story. Because of acqua alta, tides and proximity to the sea, local houses often needed some TLC to keep them beauti- ful and it was local women's duty to ensure everything was top notch and up to standards: they would gather whatever paint they could, often mixing shades together, creating the colorful results we still enjoy today. According to another story, on the other hand, Burano's houses became this colorful to enable locals to tell one family from the other: there were, it seems, many people sharing the same surname, so much so it was simpler to identify resi- dents either through a nick- name or, indeed, the color of their own home. Today, Burano's homes are as famous as its delicate – and expensive – lace, and you may be surprised to learn that their owners can decide neither the shade nor can they change it when they want: there is a spe- cific palette, approved by the local council, and any change must be approved by authori- ties before taking place. T o d a y ' s w o r d i s m u c h n e e d e d t h e s e d a y s . Buondì (boo-ohn- d e e , w i t h t h e accent on the -dee!) is a col- l o q u i a l t e r m u s e d t o s a y " g o o d m o r n i n g " o r " g o o d day." It is the union of two other words, buon ("good") and dì (an old-fashioned ver- sion of "day"), and began being used sometimes in the 1 4 t h c e n t u r y , w i t h s o m e notable examples appearing in Petrarca. Buondì is fun and cheer- ful. Using it when you wake u p m a k e s y o u f e e l y o u ' r e standing on top of the world. And it's always accompanied by a smile. You'll rarely find a sad Italian greeting you with it. Because it is a collo- quial term, it is rarely used in formal writing, but you can of course introduce an email or a letter to a friend with it. We seem not to make up o u r m i n d o n w h e t h e r buondì should be one or two words (buon dì): in truth, they are both common, but t h e A c c a d e m i a d e l l a Crusca says the version buon dì may be more usual: does it really matter though, when we mostly speak, rather than write, our buondì? I n t r u t h , o u r r e v e r e d a c a d e m y p o i n t s o u t t h a t , perhaps, it's handy to make of one word two to differen- tiate between buon dì the g r e e t i n g , a n d b u o n d ì t h e pastry: yes, because famous baking company Motta has b e e n p r o d u c i n g i t s legendary Buondì, a small leavened pastry either plain or filled with jam and choco- l a t e , c o v e r e d w i t h s u g a r glaze and sprinkles, since 1953. But in the end, it doesn't m a t t e r h o w y o u w r i t e i t , w h a t c o u n t s i s t h e m e s - sage. Buondì in Italian is more than a way to say hello, because it always comes with a smile. - Buondì cara! Che bellis- sima giornata! - Good morning my dear, what an amazing day! - Buondì, come stai? - Buongiorno, come va? - Quando ero piccolo, a c o l a z i o n e m a n g i a v o u n buondì alla marmellata tutti i giorni - When I was a child, I used to eat a jam "buondì" for breakfast every day LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Word of the day – buondì, the best word to start the day well! Italian curiosities: why are Burano's houses so colorful? The beautiful and colorful houses of Burano (Photo: Mihail Ivanov/Dreamstime) © Ammentorp | Dreamstime.com

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