Finishing a piece of her sister’s wedding dress, 20-year-old Ludovica Zane pauses over the delicate lace (merletto) she has been weaving, reflecting on what the craft means here on the island of Burano.“It’s a part of my heritage and history,” says Ludovica. “I started out when I was 10 years old under the guidance of my great-grandmother and my grandmother. I practice whenever I have free time, which as a university student can be hard.”
A native of Burano, known for its blocks of color-saturated townhouses, Ludovica is currently the youngest of the master artisans in the local lacemaking collective. Her father, Massimiliano Zane, holds another impressive title: the first maestro of Burano lace. Her grandmother, Sandra Mavaracchio, hosts classes and sells goods at her shop La Merlettaia (the Lacemaker). Yet the future of the prized tradition feels increasingly fragile.
