What is a tiny barrel walled in to the central nave of the basilica of St. Mary and St. Donatus on the island of Murano doing?
Legend tells that the botasso de Sant’Alban (St. Alban’s barrel) was located on the neighboring island of Burano, placed next to the relics of St. Alban, and streamed out a continuous jet of wine. The citizens of the other island, famous for its glass art, decided to steal the miraculous barrel from their neighbors, but once they reached their island again, nothing came out from the cask, not even water.
When the inhabitants of Burano came to take back what was theirs, the people of Murano decided they would rather wall in their booty than give it back to their rivals. In the end, there was no longer wine in gallons for neither Burano nor Murano, only stone.
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