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The first evidence of glassmaking activities in Venice dates back to 982 A.D., but it was in 1200 that the glassworks first became concentrated in Murano, creating refined products that were far removed from the rougher items produced by other European manufacturers. Towards the year 1000, under the Venetian Republic, known as la Serenissima, all t...

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Surely you've heard of Venice — gondolas swimming about narrow canals, jaw-dropping Renaissance palaces, and unforgettable beauty literally everywhere you turn your head. Venice is a place to behold. But have you heard of Murano? Once a humble fishing port, Murano is a chain of seven islands linked by bridges with about 5,000 residents, just a mile...

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The swirling colors of glass which have become almost synonymous with the Venetian island of Murano have a long and varied history, navigating many centuries of secret guilds, alchemy and political turmoil. But what fewer people know is that the entire industry virtually collapsed — multiple times.  Even now, the true artisans of Murano hang on by...

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Murano Glass is a unique type of glassware that is known for its beauty, craftsmanship, and durability. Unlike other types of glassware and crystal, Murano Glass is made using a highly specialized process that involves melting and shaping glass at extremely high temperatures. One of the key features of Italian Murano Glass is the special furnaces u...

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The Getty shop justifies a colorful goblet’s $45 price tag by noting that it hails from the Venetian island of Murano, “famous for its highly prized, collectible glass.” Walmart writes that a $57.95 plum figurine embodies Murano’s “richness of color, originality, and unparalleled craftsmanship.” Stunning yet pricey, Murano glass is frequently hawke...

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What happened in Murano, stayed in Murano. So was the rigidly guarded way of life on the tiny island in the Venetian Lagoon, about a mile north of Venice, where, in the late 1200s, the Venetian government mandated that the furnaces used by local glassmakers, and the glassmakers themselves, be relocated from the city center. Intended as a measure to...

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A short distance from Venice, of which it is part, Murano is one of the many centers of the Venetian Lagoon, and is located on seven islands – two of which are artificial – located along the Marani Canal, joined together by bridges. Murano binds its fame to the artisanal production of glass, of which it has become over the centuries one of the most...

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 The Italian glassblowers of Murano have survived plagues and pandemics. They transitioned to highly prized artistic creations to outrun low-priced competition from Asia. But surging energy prices are shattering their economic model. The dozens of furnaces that remain on the lagoon island where Venetian rulers transferred glassblowing 700 years ago...

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October 8, 2021 — May 8, 2022. Smithsonian American Art Museum (G Street NW, 8th St NW, Washington, DC). Sargent, Whistler, and Venetian Glass: American Artists and the Magic of Murano brings to life the Venetian glass revival of the late nineteenth century and the artistic experimentation the city inspired for visiting artists. It is the first com...

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Magazzino’s Co-Founders Nancy Olnick and Giorgio Spanu will discuss the development of their passion for and collection of Murano glass. Murano Glass: Olnick Spanu Collection, a film by Anton Giulio and Siretta Onofri, providing insight into, as well as footage of, glass production in the storied factories of Venice and featuring interviews with Na...

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