There is a less known aspect of our land which we particularly enjoy bringing up, a feature that remains hidden to most, one you would never expect to be finding by visiting Venice. It is a world rich in heart-felt traditions which still entice us to this day.
Venissa and Casa Burano
On Mazzorbo island, a bridge away from Burano, Venissa is an elegant estate surrounded by the silence of the northern lagoon. We had the pleasure to discover it during a summer day, cradled by the sound of cicadas singing in between the rows of the vineyard. Venissa as we see it today is the product of the Bisol family’s restoration, who chose to give a new life to the grape type Dorona di Venezia – at the time it was extremely appreciated by the Doges – and saved it from complete loss.
Dorona is a type of grape as strong as the love that the owners put into carrying on the winemaking tradition of the islands, which took a hard hit in 1966, when the “acqua grande” destroyed many of the cultivations in the lagoon. The Dorona can well resist the salt coming along with the tides, and as of today its plants yield about 4000 bottles of Venissa Bianco per year. It is a precious wine, and we may say it is the soul of Native Venice in a bottle.
Venissa offers its guests a stay in the estate, as well as the possibility to eat at the Osteria Contemporanea or try the dishes of Ristorante Stellato’s ecologic cuisine. The chefs Chiara Pavan and Francesco Brutto take care of every taste off their menus by starting their dishes at the vegetable gardens that surround the restaurant: in this way they can offer a local cuisine, with lagoon’s fish, wine, and agricultural products.
Another one of Venissa’s projects is the albergo diffuso Casa Burano, which consists of 5 little houses on the colourful nearby island. It is the place for you, if you wish to wake up in a soothing atmosphere, enlivened by traditions and ancient practices, like fishing and the art of lace.
Flora meets Venissa
Hotel Flora and Casa Flora, along with Venissa and Casa Burano, have come together to create a unique experience, both in Venice itself and in its further lagoon. The custom made holiday package which lasts multiple days: starting from the centre of Venice, it then takes you to the quiet atmosphere of the “native” islands.
From Venice’s rocks to the water of its lagoon, where the history of the city begins. What renders this collaboration even more special is the selection of activities you may choose from, as in the city, so in the lagoon. We included those activities we consider as most authentic, because preserving Venice’s cultural identity is a shared purpose of ours.
We found out by having long talks on the most crucial themes of these last few months, surrounded either by Hotel Flora’s private garden or Venissa’s vineyard.
We at Inside Venice aim at testing these and many other experiences in order to bring them out to the world.
Discover all the details about the Hotel Flora x Venissa and Casa Flora x Casa Burano collaborations.
For more information:
HOTEL FLORA – CASA FLORA
[email protected] – [email protected]
VENISSA – CASA BURANO
[email protected]
F. M.
