History of Murano Glass
Ruling the Continent
The popularity of Venetian glass in the 15th and 16th centuries was fuelled by its expertise in producing clear glass - cristallo - or the white glass mimicking porcelain - lattimo. The practice of enamelling glass, which had originally spread from the Middle East, was also highly popular at the time. Venetain mirrors, too, were in great demand.
The evident prosperity of the glassmakers' guild on Murano of course attracted attempts at competition elsewhere in Europe and Italy and Venice was forced to intensify its carrot and stick approach to the industry.
The ranks of master and assistant glassblower were opened up to allow non-residents an honorary citizenship of Murano - subject to the same rights and restrictions, of course - and, at the same time, steps were taken to close glass furnaces operating in other parts of the territory controlled by the Venetian Republic by force.
In the time of its greatest popularity, Murano was visited by crowned heads, popes and the leading businessmen of its time - all attracted by glass "à la façon de Venise".
Seeds of Decline
As with the Republic itself, the seeds of an eventual decline were hidden within the apparent success. Knowledge attempts to be free and, despite best efforts of the guilds, the government and the feared secret services, enough seeped away from the island to allow rival enterprises to start.
Merchants who had experience of commerce with Murano set up their own factories in France, Belgium and Austria. The repeated bouts of plague necessitated frequent relaxations of the strict employment laws to attract a sufficient number of workers. And, eventually, a new technique arose to challenge the pre-eminence of Murano glass - leaded glass - which developed bases in the UK and Bohemia.
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Venetian Glass Info