History of Murano Glass

by Daniele Graziani February 16, 2011

Before Murano Glass

The history of Murano glass is rooted in the history of glass in general. According to the treatise Naturalis Historia by the Roman historian Gaius Plinius Secundus (23 AD - August 25, 79 AD), better known as Pliny the Elder, glass was invented by the Phoenicians in the third millennium BC. The Phoenicians, who populated the Eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea, invented (or perhaps we should say: "discovered") glass as they lit a fire on sand they noticed that the sand melted in a transparent liquid. Glass production of small items used for rituals or as ornaments developed in Egypt and Mesopotamia. But, perhaps, that account is not accurate as some sources now point to Mesopotamia as the birthplace of glass.

The most ancient glass artifacts have been found in Egypt and date from the 16th to the 14th century BC. Those were mainly small objects built by placing strings on glass around a nucleus, which would then be destroyed leaving the object intact.

Around the first century BC, the technique of blowing glass was developed in Syria and adopted in Egypt and in Rome. This technique enabled the creation of more useful, larger objects such as bottles and glasses. By the first century AD Roman glass makers became very accomplished and created, for example, ointment bottles that still look very contemporary. One of the Roman centers for glass production had settled in Aquileia. Aquileia is located in the province of Udine, not too far from Venice. As the Roman empire began to collapse, the area became a favorite path for invading barbarian tribes and it is easy to speculate that among the citizens of the area who fled and founded Venice were some glass makers from Aquileia.

Roman Glassmakers Settle in Murano

After the fall of the Roman empire (476 AD), glass production was concentrated in Northwestern Europe: especially in England, France, and Western Germany. After the 8th century glass production experienced extremely fast growth in the Middle East which influenced the production of glass mosaics in the byzantine empire. Venice was part of the byzantine empire until the 9th century and it is easy to infer that the local glass making industry greatly benefited from Venice's flourishing trade with the Middle East.

The most ancient glass fragments excavated in the island of Murano and in nearby Torcello date back to the 7th century. The first document that proves the existence of a glass industry in Murano is dated 982 AD. In the 13th century glass makers in Murano organized in an "Arte", a professional association. In 1271 a law named "Statuto Capitolare di Venezia" protected Venetian glass production prohibiting imports and preventing foreign glass makers from operating in Venice. In 1291 glass production was ordered to transfer to the island of Murano, as the risk of fires was too great for a city of predominantly wooden buildings.

As the industry grew in importance, the Republic of Venice adopted further protectionist measures to prevent foreign competition. Masters who left the city could no longer be readmitted to the Arte when they came back, and the exportation of tools and even raw materials was strictly prohibited. The status of glass makers was elevated to the point that if the daughter of a glass maker married into nobility, any children would be able to inherit the title.

Murano Glass Writes a Piece of History

The 15th century marked a highlight in Murano's glass making history. Glass was opaque and irregular until Angelo Barovier, one of the greatest masters of all time, invented the process that allowed the production of perfectly clear glass that closely resembled crystal. This development gave Venice exclusive access to a new material that was well suited for the creation of even more precious items. Barovier understood that glass was opaque due to impurities so he developed a complex process to remove all impurities. The discovery caused Murano glass to dominate glass production for over 200 years. Barovier also invented calcedonio, a type of glass that imitates agate and colored marble.

In the 16th century Murano glass popularity reached its peak. New technological innovations paired with extraordinary creativity made it possible that Murano glass was sought after throughout the world. As the clientele became more diverse the artists responded by drawing their inspiration from a variety of styles and ultimately started experimenting with mixed styles that became true works of art. Murano glass art was so sought after that even great painters of the time depicted it in their works.