Yes… Murano glass. There’s no getting around it when you visit Murano. There are glass stores every few hundred meters in Venice and practically one next to the other here on Murano. Not everything that is sold there as Murano glass really comes from Murano. But if you buy from a reputable glass manufacturer, you will get quality! I also own some beautiful pieces here in my soggiorno.
In 1295, for fire safety reasons, all the glass furnaces were moved from Venice to Murano. Side effect was that the closely guarded secret of glass making could not leave Venice so easily. My ancestors were already sly. Unfortunately, we Cinquettis have no glassblowers among our ancestors, although we have been living on Murano for ages.
Anyway, in the 15th century the (then!) well-paid glassblowers were forbidden to pass on their knowledge under threat of death. Today, because of poor pay, we have problems with young talent. You have to have a real passion for the craft like our glassblower apprentice Juri from Ukraine, who started his apprenticeship some time ago. A good boy!
During the Renaissance, the artistic glass products of the colorless Venetian cristallo became the main source of income for the Muranesi. Very little survives; glass…. you know… one can still be so careful.
At the beginning of the 19th century, glassmaking on Murano got another real boost: since 1860 we have a school where you can learn how to make glass. And in the glass museum, the Museo del Vetro, in the old Palazzo Giustinian you can look at many beautiful pieces. Just look. You can buy right next to it.
Museo del Vetro, Fondamenta Marco Giustinian, 8, Murano, 30141 Venezia VE
Here I have found another video for you:
