On the little isles of the lagoon, the fishermen used to live in the "casoni" – small houses constructed of straw. These houses serve as the symbol of the Lagoon and still house several of Grado’s inhabitants, who still live by fishing.
Some of them have been transformed into rustic trattorias and during summer offer good fish dishes with polenta and wine from Friuli.
The “casoni” which typically have pointed roofs, with a rectangular plan and a pyramid-shaped straw roof, have been built using the rare materials that can be found here: poles, reeds, straw and wicker. Inside these houses, there is only one big room with a fireplace, and a westward facing door which serves to protect the house from the cold eastern winds.