Chiesa di San Martino
P.za Baldassarre Galuppi, 20, Burano, Italy, 30142
Sitting along Burano’s main Piazza Baldassare Galuppi, the Chiesa di San Martino (or, more fully, Chiesa di San Martino Vescovo) is the island’s most important church. The current church was built between the 16th and 17th centuries over a parish church dating from 1000, and is home to a number of masterpieces, including Giambattista Tiepolo’s Crucifixion.
The basics
Follow the sight of San Martino’s leaning bell tower high above Burano’s rooftops to lead you to the church, set on the island’s main square. This artistic treasure trove is a stop on most Venetian islands tours, which generally spend time exploring both Burano and Murano. Choose a vaporetto (water bus) or private water taxi tour to marvel at Burano’s church, along with its much-photographed multicolor homes, Lace Museum, and Piazza Baldassare Galuppi, with its lace shops and seafood restaurants.
Things to know before you go
The church is an active place of worship, so wear modest clothing and be respectful of services when visiting.
The church is free to enter, though visitors are encouraged to make a small donation.
You’ll find cafés and restaurants near the church on Piazza Baldassare Galuppi.
Photography without flash is allowed inside the church, but it’s not really a destination for art photos—lighting is low.
The church has a side entrance that is accessible to wheelchairs and strollers.
How to get there
Burano is located deep in the Venetian Lagoon northeast of central Venice, and can only be reached by vaporetto or water taxi. Vaporetto number 12 runs from the Fondamente Nove stop to Burano in about 50 minutes, while private water taxis depart from city hotels or other locations to reach the island in about 30 minutes.
When to get there
The church is open daily from morning to evening, but closes for 3 hours at midday for lunch. Visit on a bright day for the best light to admire the works of art lining the church’s interiors; mornings are the quietest time to see the church and the island of Burano in general before the daytime crowds arrive.
Burano’s leaning tower
Pisa isn’t the only place in Italy where you can wonder at a bell tower with a gravity-defying lean. The 17th-century bell tower adjacent to the Chiesa di San Martino also lists dramatically, with the top of its 174-foot (53-meter) height tilting about 6 feet (1.83 meters) to one side with respect to its base. The tower is not open to visitors, but you can spot it from any location on the island and it has become a symbol of Burano.
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