WHAT’S IT LIKE TO LIVE ON BURANO?

It’s nice to live on Burano, everyone is calm, honest, you can leave the door open without worrying. It’s a marvelous, enchanting, with lots of colors, tourists come from all over the world to see this little colored island. And then we’re all one big family.

WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TOURISTS LIKE?

It’s good, often they ask you where to go to eat, you see them take pictures and look at the colored houses, they’re nice people.

WHAT DID YOU DO WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG?

From the time I was a boy, in 1943 when I was 12 and I went to work with glass on Murano. Until I was 52 I always worked with glass, in reality I would like to go back to working the glass ovens because you make beautiful things; it’s a very unique job.

THEN WHEN YOU RETIRED YOU BEGAN TO WORK IN THE GARDEN?

Yes, when I retired I started working in the gardens at Venissa. There are about ten of us, everyone works his or her own piece of land. In February we plant the bisi, rice, then around March we plant the potatoes. In September we start planting the vegetables for winter: different kinds of cabbage. We do everything by hand, with a shovel. We keep each other company, we help each other, and afterwards we have a glass of wine together.

WHAT’S THE SEASONAL VEGETABLE NOW?

Now there’s cabbage, brussels sprouts, cardoons. You have to give them attention but they’re very special, they’re incredible.