Island of Murano and the significance of production and history of Murano Glass to Venice. On first appearances, Murano looked like a fairly peaceful island which lacked the granduer of Venice. But things got interesting on visiting a Murano glass shop near the Faro vaporetto stop.

Background

The tower of San Pietro Maritire and the Campanile of San Stefano were the only recognisable and distinctive landmarks at the Museo Vaporetto stop in Murano. And as I walked around past Palazzo Giustinian (the Museum of Glass) and back out to Palazzo Da Mula and the Riva Longa, it soon became plain that Murano lacked the beauty and grandness of its big brother, Venice.

To kill some time, I visited the Museum of Glass to find out the significance of glass handiworks that put Murano on the map. The museum displayed some exquisite items all made of glass ranging from simple vases to table-top miniature gardens, and explained the craft of glass-making and the tools used by the craftsmen of Murano through the generations. In addition to the museum, the glass shops around the main canal functioned as a reminder of Murano's expertise in glass-making.

However, it wasn't until I walked down the street of Viale Garibaldi when I found a Murano Glass shop with a sign displaying a man working with a piece of hot glass. Inside were shelves of glass figurines and a huge hot furnace with two people seated at their workbenches, oblivious to my entry in the shop. Then the shopkeeper came out of an office to greet me. Surprising me with his hospitality. he told me he would be available for any questions or needs I had. I thought I would hang around and take a photo of that big glass furnace, but changed my mind for respect of the craftsmen working hard at their benches. I felt I needed to respect the dedication and conscientious attitude of the craftsmen in approaching their glass-making, a fact that makes Murano and Venice famous for its glass.

I decided against buying any glass figurines from Murano, being afraid that it might cause a burden as I toured Venice. Instead, I took some photos of Murano glass figures and assortments that were attractively displayed in the shopfronts. In the end, I suppose this is the only significant reminder I have now of this glass factory.

Technical

Canon EOS 300V with 28-90mm and 75-300mm zoom lenses and polariser for displays. Fuji ISO 100 film. Canon A20 Powershot Digital Camera.

Links

Go Murano