Murano’s Glass Museum (Museo del Vetro), the only museum in the world where the art of glassmaking is illustrated from its origins, reopens today enlarged and completely refurbished: the exhibition spaces have been almost doubled, the layout totally renewed, while new displays and themes will enable visitors to admire the world's largest collection of Murano glass and discover its history.
It is a history that goes back a long way, although it has never been possible to determine when exactly the Venice glassmaking industry originated. What is certain is that, during the 12th-14th centuries, the art of glassmaking in Venice flourished through contact with the East, particularly Syria, Egypt and the Eastern Roman Empire, as a consequence of wars and commercial enterprises. Murano’s glassmakers led Europe for centuries, developing or refining many techniques still used today.
The Murano Glass Museum collection is laid out chronologically on the first floor of the museum, located inside Palazzo Giustinian. Starting from an archaeological section on the ground floor, which contains noteworthy Roman works dating from the 1st to the 3rd century A.D., it continues on to the largest historical collection of Murano glass in the world, with pieces dating from the 15th to the 20th century, many of them world-famous masterpieces.
The Museo del Vetro di Murano, one of the 12 museums belonging to the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, is also the only museum dedicated to artistic glass located within an active and firmly rooted context of actual production, thanks to the many furnaces and glassmakers still working on Murano.
To plan your visit, check the museum’s website.
Watch this great video by Musei Civici di Venezia to get a glimpse of the Glass Museum:
Are you in love with Murano glass? Find Murano glass pieces in the ITALY Magazine shop, available for online purchase.
