If I told you about the Leaning Tower of Burano, you’d probably think that I misspoke. Much like an older sibling that gets all of the praise, the Tower of Pisa floats into our stream of consciousness as one of the most recognizable structures in all of Italy, probably even in the world. But it’s not the only radically leaning building in Italy!
Welcome to Burano Island
Enter Burano, a lesser known island sharing its lagoon with beautiful Venice. Another little sibling to its big brother, famed glass making Murano island, Burano continues to charm visitors with its characteristic colorful houses and fine works of lace. But, on my most recent trip to this peaceful reserve, I noticed something peculiar.
Lookin a little tipsy
Something didn’t seem right. Is that bell tower…leaning? I had to get a better look. After some shmoozing and curious questioning, I discovered that yes, this is indeed the ‘famous’ Campanile Storto di Burano, and it has been slightly off for a couple hundred years now.
The Campanile Storto di Burano aka the Tower of Burano
Due to the marshy conditions of the lagoon, the tower and its’ connecting church of San Martino Vescovo have undergone a number of restorations, most notably between 1703-1714. It’s lean should solely be attributed to this, but of course the locals have their own twist on the story. They say the municipal government, in an effort to make the building stand higher and boost the island’s prominence, didn’t do their weight calculations correctly, forgetting to add in the additional heft of the large iron cross on the top of the tower. This mistake cost the building enough margin of error that it started to tip during its make-over, halting construction and giving it its signature tilt.
Perspective changes everything
So there you have it, the tale of just one of Italy’s reposers, the Leaning Tower of Burano, and further proof that we all need to take ourselves less seriously and relax. Sometimes our imperfections are what makes us the most memorable part of the story.
