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What is Murano glass? It would be our pleasure to give you a brief history of this fascinating medium.
The art of glass making in Venice can be traced back almost a thousand years. In the 13C., as glass trade flourished, it was deemed necessary to move production to the nearby island of Murano as a safeguard against the outbreak of fire as well as to protect the secrecy of the techniques developed.
In fact, once indoctrinated to the mysteries of this alluring medium, artisans were not permitted to leave the island. Designs were fiercely guarded and literally kept under lock and key.
As Venetian glass gained prestige, its production adorned palaces and opulent homes of the nobility all over Europe until the early 19C. However, it was suppressed during the occupation by the Austrians in favour of their own Bohemian glass production, and from the production of incredible glass objects of great refinement, Venice was reduced to the production of glass beads.
In the early 1860's, due to the efforts of Dr. Antonio Salviati, a Venetian lawyer, Antonio Colleoni, the mayor of Murano, Abbot Vincenzo Zanetti, a local priest and Lorenzo Radi, a glass technician, the glass business was revived.
They collected documents and the best pieces of Murano glass they could find and, in 1861 established a glass museum in Murano, and a school for the young apprentices.
Some of these artisans went on to become well-known names in Murano glass today and techniques like aventurina, filigrana, calcedonio,vetro a reticello, to name a few, are still used today.
Today the beauty and mystique that is Murano glass is known around the world.
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