The Lace Museum (Museo del Merletto) was founded in 1978. The museum is located in a picturesque setting at the historic palace of Podestà di Torcello, which sits amongst the colourful buildings of Piazza Galuppi, Burano. The museum narrates the artistic history of Venice and the lagoon’s lacemaking tradition. The vast collection of precious pieces from clothing to furnishings and drawings is organised chronologically, from the 16th century through to the 20th century. Short films, illustrations, and vintage items all reveal the Venetian story of handcrafted lacemaking.

Here visitors can become acquainted with myriad types of lace, fashionable in different centuries. From the needle lace developed in Renaissance Venice to the Baroque lagoon laces in Gros point and the Burano point, the intricate details are a delight. Visitors may also discover the origins of Venetian lace-making schools, with the first one opening in Burano in 1872.