TOURIST INFORMATION ON MURANO VENICE - THE ISLAND OF GLASS

A 9 minute water boat ride from the Fondamente Nuove , north of Venice, is located the island of Murano.  This is where everyday life revolves around the glass making industry.  Water plays a large role in life on Murano probably more so than in Venice and they have their own grand canal.  The only bridge is ‘Ponte Longo', made of iron and built in 1866.

The oldest preserved evidence for the existence of the glass blower dates back to 982 and is found in Venice's archives.  Documented evidence shows that in 1279, it was confined to the ‘rio dei Vetrai' where even today the oldest glass factories are located.  The fortune of Murano came in 1291 when the glass makers were invited to leave Venice and move all the furnaces onto the island of Murano.  This is a means of security to avoid the hazard of fire which would be very dangerous for Venice. Therefore the island became the most important centre for the glass industry in all of Europe up until the XVII century.  

With the monopoly of production, Venice has been the protagonist in the history of glass pearls (conterie) since around 1200 to 1950. They are pearls obtained when working over a flame and were used as money for exchange with natives of colonial states. Glass workers were prohibited from emigrating from Venice by the threat of confiscation of property.  The Republic didn't want competition arising from rival schools.  Despite this, some teachers managed to emigrate illegally to Florence, London and to the rest of Europe. 

The fall of the Serenissima republic, was accompanied by the decline of the craft of glasswork.  The rebirth was encouraged in the mid 1800's by the Barovier, Toso, Seguso, Salviati families.  The production is still today a handicraft and the majority of businesses have from 2-5 artisans even though some have 50-60 employees. The method of manufacture is the same, there are no machines and what counts is the ability as well as how much breath the artisan possesses.  Every company had their own formula which up until the 1800's was secret, however with the advances in chemistry and research institutions these were no longer unknown.  In the past the glass blower would show his expertise with intricate objects, however today they are no longer so complicated because articles would be too expensive. 

It usually takes 3-4 people to finish an object, but in a large scale company it can be as many as 18.  Artisans create objects of every colour, but only experts know how to obtain variants of red and yellow, the most difficult colours . Articles range from vases to unique pieces, statues to animals.  The variety of glass in Murano is vast and can be quite expensive.  Pieces signed by Barovier & Toso, Venini, and Carlo Moretti are a guarantee of international fame.  There are also over 100 small businesses who work glass by candlelight and therefore don't require the furnace.  They produce small pieces and souvenirs.

We offer a private Glass Shopping Tour of Murano for those discerning clients who only want to visit the finest producers of Murano Glass