Murano, Venice
Murano
Venice, Italy
The Venice island of Murano is home to the craft of glass making, the Museo del Vetro glass museum and rare mosaics
About Murano
Murano is known worldwide for its craftsman made glass.
Glass-making was originally based in Venice but, as a precaution against fires, the Doge of Venice ordered all Venetian glass makers to move their furnaces to Murano in 1291.
In Campo Santo Stefano you can see Simone Cenedese’s Comet Glass Star, an abstract blue glass starburst sculpture celebrating this.
Murano is easily walkable being about 1 miles across (1.5km) and is a series of islands connected by bridges.
Murano Glass
There are a number of glass blowers and artisans who allow visitors into their workshops to watch them create beautiful works of art in Murano.
Some of the companies that own glass factories in Murano are among the most important brands of glass in the world: Venini, Alessandro Mandruzzato Ferro Murano, Barovier & Toso, Simone Cenedese, Pauly & C and Seguso.
In recent years there are a number of places in Venice that sell fake Murano glass. These are produced cheaply in China.
A good rule of thumb is that if the glass is cheap, it’s not Murano glass. If you buy direct from the producer, it will be genuine!
View more about the history of Murano glass below
Visiting Murano
Useful Information
Location/Waterbus
While Murano is fairly compact and easy to walk, there are a number of vaporetto stops in Murano.
Main Vaporetto Waterbus routes Line 3, Line 4.1/ 4.2, Line 7, Line 12
1. For glass producers & the best stop to view Murano: Murano Faro or Colonna,
2. For Murano Basilica and the Glass Museum: Murano Museo
Tickets & Tours
Tickets: For a genuine experience from glass craftsmen and women, view the tours below.
Private Glass Blowing Class / Private Glass Blowing Demo + Tour
Glimpse of Murano, Torcello & Burano Islands | Murano and Burano Boat Tour with Glass Factory Visit
Murano Glass Museum
The Museo del Vetro glass museum of Murano is located in Fondamenta Marco Giustiniani was the former residence of the bishops of Torcello in 1659.
It holds 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.
In all there are over 4,000 objects in the glass museum including the largest item, a chandelier that weighs 330 kilos (727 Ibs).
The Glass Museum is very close to the Basilica (Cathedral) of St Maria e Donato.
Murano Glass Workshop Tours
Most glass factories in Murano require pre-booking. Although you don’t need a tour to explore by yourself, they can be worthwhile in allowing you to see more than you otherwise could.
Here’s a selection of the most popular tours available.
These include this one listed – take a private glass-blowing class with a master craftsman and create a one-of-a-kind piece of Venetian glass art. The reviews say:
Really incredible experience. We got to watch massimiliano make a jellyfish to show us some different techniques and then explained how to make a small necklace ourselves. We also learned some of the history of Venetian glass and the traditional techniques. So much more interesting than just a demonstration though. Would highly recommend. What a fantastic souvenir from our holiday.
Venice Glass Blowing Tours
Venice Private Glass Blowing Class
Create your own personal glass-artwork with a famous glassmaker
- Duration: 1h 15mins
- Max group size: 2
- Private lesson with a local glass craftsman
- Working items
- Your glass creation as souvenir
- 10% discount on the artworks of the artist
Murano: Private Glass Blowing Demo + Tour
Relax and enjoy the ride to Murano on a private boat!
- Skip-the-line entry to a glass factory
- Private guide
- Walking tour of Murano
- Private glass-blowing demonstration
- Private roundtrip boat transfer from Venice to Murano
Cathedral of Maria e Donato
The most important church in Murano is the Cathedral of Maria e Donato. The church is one of the oldest in the Venetian lagoon. It was originally built in the 7th century.
Murano cathedral is best know for its stunning twelfth century Byzantine mosaic pavement . It is also said to contain the relics of Saint Donatus and the bones of a dragon slain by the saint.
Admission to the Cathedral is free
Opening Times
Monday to Saturday: 9am-12/3.30pm-7pm
Sundays: 3.30pm-7pm
A Little More History of Glass Making
Venice and Murano in particular has been a centre for glass making for many hundreds of years. Roman glass from the Veneto region of Italy (where Venice is located) has been excavated from sites across the area.
Archaeologists discovered one of the earliest glass furnaces on a Venetian island (believed to be Torcello), dating back to the 8th century.
By the 1200s glass making was a major and regulated industry in Venice.
In the late 1200s, a law was passed requiring all glass making furnaces to be moved from Venice to Murano to avoid the fire risk to wooden buildings in Venice.
It’s also believed his was to prevent glass makers from easly sharing their trade secrets with the outside world.
These glass artisans had a privileged social status allowing them to marry into the richest Venetian families.
The great popularity of Venetian glass was in the 15th and 16th centuries. Following this there were falls, and the occasional rise, in popularity of Murano glass that continued until the post-war years when tourism gradually increased, new glassmaking techniques evolved and a new market evolved for Murano glass.
There are now believed to be about 1000 people still working in glass on Murano, many using techniques that have been around for hundreds of years.
With the rise of imported knock-off items, the genuine Murano glassmakers have lost some of their market.
So, when you can, always buy genuine items from crafstman and women on Murano.
Murano Weather Forecast
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Venice Lagoon Islands Hotels & Apts
Murano
Hotels & Apartments
Burano
Hotels & Apartments
Lido di Venezia
Hotels & Apartments
Giudecca
Hotels & Apartments
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VENICE LAGOON ISLANDS MAP
With Place Markers
