Murano Island Tour: The History of Glass Making in Venice

Learn about the history of glassmaking with an expert guide

$426 and up

Private

N/A

Small group

Tour Details

About the Tour

Category: Art, History
Duration: 2.5 hours
Location: Venice

Photos & Highlights

Learn about the history of glassmaking in Venice and see a glassblowing demonstration
Led by a historian
Murano Glass Museum and Island of Murano

Tour Description

Venetians have been making glass since the middle ages, and the importance of glass objects, glass trading, and glass craftsmanship is so deeply interwoven with Venetian history and identity that it’s impossible to visit Venice without considering it. During this half-day walking tour, we’ll visit the Venetian island of Murano, home to the city’s glass factories and artisans, in the company of a historian. We’ll see glass artisans at work in local factories, learn how the craft of glass-making has evolved, and discover what makes Murano glass so unique.

Murano Glass Tour

Venetians didn’t invent glass. The first traces of glass manufacturing can be traced back to Egypt and Mesopotamia, millennia before the common era. However, glass became one of the symbols of the Republic, and, in particular, of a tiny island in the Northern lagoon, Murano. This craft was so important to Venice - both for its economy and status - that Venice established a system of patents to protect the inventions that were being forged by the skillful artisans. With time, glass masters were considered part of the local nobility and were granted special privileges. During this 2.5h Murano glass tour, we’ll explore how the glass industry became such a crucial sector of the Venetian trade throughout the centuries and not solely within the Mediterranean sea.

We’ll begin with a trip across the Venetian lagoon by Vaporetto (public transport) to the island of Murano where the city’s glass factories have been located since 1291 when The Doge forced all glass factories to relocate out of Venice proper in order to minimize fire hazards. Along the way our expert, a trained historian, will provide a vivid background on glass and how glass-making first came to Venice. (To learn more about the role of the Doge in Venice try our Doges Palace Tour with Historian.

Once we arrive in Murano we’ll head straight to the Murano Glass Museum, which contains a fantastic collection of historic glass objects and allows us to trace the development of glass in Venice over the centuries. We’ll consider, for example, how the relocation of glass to Murano fueled a production boom and rapid innovation like the creation of transparent glass, unknown until that moment, to such extravagant concoctions as the white milk-like “lattimo” glass. As we make our way through the museum our expert will also get into some of the details of the art, craft, chemistry, and trade that shape the story of glass, Murano and Venice more broadly.

Glass Production and Trade

We’ll then take a stroll through Murano, taking care to avoid the large tour groups that mob the touristy glass factories, calling in on artisans and craftspeople whose work respects the long traditions of glassmaking in Venice. We will rely on the local glass artisans to teach us about their craft and our guide will enrich the presentation with more notes on the history of glass. For instance, our guide may explain how "perle" or small glass beads which come in different varieties, colors, and shapes were widely used across the Mediterranean as token money. As the artisans work away we’ll talk about how glass production spread worldwide, how Murano glass entered a period of crisis in the 19th century. If you’re interested in exploring Venice’s role in global trade we suggest St. Mark’s Square Tour.

Take Aways

At the end of our time together we’ll emerge with a better idea of what makes Murano glass unique. We’ll understand the history of glass in Venice and have witnessed actual glass making up close and in a non-touristy, sustainable environment. And, we’ll consider the wider context of global trade and how artisan crafts like this are carving a new path for themselves in our modern world.

To learn more about glassmaking in Murano, take a look at our blog post about fake Murano glass and our profile of Giorgio Nason, a Venetian glassblower.

FAQ

Can we use a private boat for the walk instead of public transport? Yes, if you're booking a private walk. Just indicate in the order notes that you'd like to add the private boat service, and we'll organize it for you. The cost starts from 370 EUR

Our hotel is offering us a private water taxi transfer to Murano for our tour. Can we get to Murano that way?
No, unfortunately, the "free" water taxi service offered by many hotels obligates hotel guests to visit only certain parts of the island and certain glassmaking factories. We prefer to have a choice of artisans to visit so discourage the use of the hotel water taxi service.

Where You'll Start

Tour Experts

Erika

Originally from Genoa, Erika moved to Venice ten years ago to study Oriental languages at Ca' Foscari University, where she graduated with a thesis on Japanese art and architecture. She has a keen interest in the art and history of Venice and worked for some important cultural institutions, such as the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, where she was in charge of special events, and the National Oriental Museum at Ca' Pesaro, where she studied and cataloged part of the collection. Her time at the Guggenheim collection sharpened her knowledge of contemporary art, which she continues to study. She is now a licensed tourist guide for the city of Venice.

Matteo

Originally from Venetian mainland, Matteo has lived in different countries, which sparked his interest in art history and archaeology. He holds a B.A. in Cultural Heritage Preservation and an M.A. in Archaeology - specializing in Islamic Archaeology - from the University Ca' Foscari, Venezia. Matteo chose to specialize in Islamic Archaeology, due to his personal passion and curiosity for the Islamic World: this particular interest was developed after several travels and stays in different Middle Eastern countries. He has worked as a freelance archaeologist following projects in different locations of the Veneto Region in Italy and in Cairo, Egypt. Matteo became a qualified tourist guide for the City of Venice in 2009, and he has been collaborating with Context since then.

Davide

Davide was born in Venice he graduated from Ca' Foscari University with a degree focusing on the history of architecture and medieval history. After a specialization course in Innovative Tourism Marketing his interests in sustainable tourism began. He also has a special research interest in Venetian military architecture and military art theory. As a coordinator of a European NGO he organized cultural seminars in many European universities. He also spent time teaching the history of Italian art at the University of Turku in Finland. A passion for Venice, was what brought him back to his hometown, where his cultural interests developed into a profession, applying concepts of sustainable tourism crucial to preserving his city.

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23 Reviews – (4.79)

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Andrea was amazing!! Born and raised in Murano- he knows the history of the glass factories and the island but more importantly he knows everyone there which allowed us lucky access to a few places not normally open to the public. He knew the best values in glass if you want to purchase and where to get items from true artisans. Through Andrea we got a fun and informative education of the island and the glass making history and today. All the while having a fantastic time! percent recommend!!!

Laurie

Sep. 25, 2019

Guide was good, very pleasant.

Bob

Sep. 24, 2019

Matteo was great--knowledgeable, and able to roll with the punches. We greatly appreciated his help in arranging a visit to the Tagliapietra home

Mark

Sep. 23, 2019

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