In Love with Murano Glass
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Ex Chiesa di Santa Chiara - The Glass Cathedral - is dedicated to the Love for the Art of Venetian Glass Blowing. It is located on the Island of Murano in Italy, near Venice. It is in the top 3 attractions to visit according to Tripadvisor.
With its beautiful chandeliers and bright colors, this ancient former church offers you a sophisticated, elegant environment for a fairy-tale wedding ceremony or party and unforgettable private or business events. You can also walk in to enjoy one of the live Glass Art Shows by Ion Cafadaru and his assistants or visit one of the famous Masquerade Balls. |
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Top 3 of things to do on Murano on Tripadvisor
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The story of the Glass Blowers
In the Glass Cathedral you can enjoy Glass Art Shows daily. The fame of Murano as glass blowing capital started in the late 13th century. All Venetian glass blowers were ordered to relocate to Murano. That had to do with the enormous risk of fires, due to the extreme heat in the ovens. The other reason was that the Republic of Venice wanted to protect their trade secrets. Until the 16th century Murano held a monopoly in Europe on making glass. The glassblowing areas in the different parts of Europe were extremely competitive. Glass makers faced huge fines and imprisonment if they traveled outside the Republic. So the glassblowers of Murano could use the very best glass and talent. They supplied glassware to royal families all over Europe and had a reputation for excellence all over the world. It was the delicacy and translucency of Murano glass that made it stand out. In the city of Venice only glass beads were still made. They were used for jewelry and decoration, but also as trade currency.
“Anyone who knew the recipe of the alchemists could make gold, but only the artisans of Murano could make glass so fine, one could nearly touch one's fingers together on either side; cristallo without an imperfection or blemish, clear as the sky, with a sparkle to rival that of diamonds.”
― Ruth Nestvold, Island of Glass: The Age of Magic
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If you want to read more on the life of glassblowers in an easy way, we recommend 'The Glassblower of Murano' by Marina Fiorato or 'Island of Glass: The Age of Magic' by Ruth Nestvold. Fiction, but based on historical facts. On glassblower.info you will find more serious books.
Murano's Glass Masters
Alfredo Barbini, Ercole Barovier, Simone Cenedese, Galliano Ferro, Carlo Moretti. Vincenzo Nason, Archimede Seguso, Aureliano Toso are famous 'maestro's'. At the moment there are approximately 60 glassmasters in Murano. It is an honorary title experienced glassblowers can earn. That usually takes at least a couple of decades. Each glassmaster has his specialty, like the kind of objects he makes and the techniques he uses. You can read more on how to recognize authentic Murano glassmaster's work on wikihow.com. In the video below the famous Glass Master Simone Cenedese tells more about his passion. To understand more about the different styles and techniques, the Museo del Vetro on Murano is not to be missed.
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Glass is a fruit of the art of fire. |