Murano

A suburb of Venice proper, Murano is built on five small islands in the Venetian lagoon. It is noted for its glassmaking industry dating back to the late 13th century. It is an ideal place to visit and see how a raw material of such simplicity can be transformed and graced with such elegant form. The beautiful Murano is known as the “little Venice” for its canals and churches. Glassmaking on the islands of the Venetian Lagoon has a history of at least 1300 years; the industry had its beginnings on Torcello in the 7th or 8th Century. Production later shifted to Venice, where it remained concentrated until the fornaci or furnaces were moved to the island of Murano as a fire-prevention measure in 1291. Today, "Venetian glass" is a synonym for "Murano glass," and the island's glass industry is enjoying a resurgence under a new generation of master artists and craftsmen.