A romantic and celebrated story is characteristic of Italian glassware. The history of very hot sand turning into glass, in accordance with legend, was discovered when pre-Roman sailors lit very hot fires on the sand and uncovered the technique, culminating in the manufacture of glass. Venice might have been at the epicenter of Italian glassware manufacturing since 450 AD.



During the time of Constantine, Italian glassware was a flourishing industry with professional conduct standards and education through apprenticeships. The formulation of particular Italian glassware manufacturing methods, including filigrana, gilding, and enameling had also already taken place. Family cookbooks of glass recipes and methods were handed down from father to son. The formulas have been embellished and fine-tuned for centuries.

Throughout Constantine's time Venice served as the central hub of Italian glassware manufacture and design. The scores of fires started by glasshouses inspired the authorities to forbid by decree the formation of new glasshouses in the late 13th century. Italian glassware making moved to the Venetian island of Murano and the industry is still locatedin Murano to present time.

Italian glassware making dominated the industry throughout the Renaissance period and into the seventeenth century when different glasshouses started to emerge. The color and clarity of Italian glassware was as much appreciated and celebrated during those times as it is to this day.

Italian Glassware To This Day

Murano is still the focal point of Italian glassware manufacture and Venetian glass products from Murano is still as beautiful and valuable as in the past. Even though certain functional items are made in Murano, the primary focus is for decoration oriented glassware. It is somewhat tough to justify using soft drink glasses wit a price tag of 0 each for everyday dining. They're objects of art, not everyday use items.

Italian glassware is pieces of art, and the glasses and ornamental pieces are all extraordinary. It is fragile and lovely, with perfect colors, and every piece is one of a kind because they're are all blown by hand. Due to the fact that Italian glassblowers are artists and not artisans, many pieces are frankly daring.

Glassware serving as pure art is a relatively recent phenomenon, and Murano is slap bang in the center of the development. The USA glass maker Dale Chihuly learned much of his art in the Italian glasshouse of Venini Fabrica. Venice boasts several glass chandeliers that were created by Chihuly, working with Murano glass maker Line Tagliapetra.

During the Renaissance period Italian glassware was beautiful and popular, and it's no different today. To this day it still determines the bar for modern glassware in addition to the standard for fragility and quality in glass art. The longstanding epicenter of glassmaking, namely Murano, is to this day a location that draws many glass blowers for a chance to get educated by the leaders in the industry.