In 1291 all the glass makers in Venice were forced to move to Murano due to the risk of fires at a time when Venice was built mostly with wood.  The island of Murano, now famous for its glass, lies about 1.5 km north of Venice.  The glass makers of Murano held a monopoly on high-quality glassmaking for centuries.

The glass is made from silica, which becomes liquid at high temperatures.  The oven is heated to about Continue reading “The Glass Island”