MURANO (Day 6)--
Murano is a cluster of five small, closely spaced islands in the Ventian lagoon, less than two miles north of the city of Venice. Murano's islands, like those of Venice, are linked by bridges and separated by canals. Everything about the town reminds you of Venice.
Glassmaking in Venice dates back to at least the 10th century, and possibly as early as the 5th century. By the late 1200s, the production of glass objects was the city's major industry. Not only did Venetians produce lots of glass, they made glass of the very finest quality.
Murano's reputation as a center for glassmaking was born when the Venetian Republic, fearing fire and the destruction of the city's mostly wooden buildings, ordered glassmakers to move their foundries to Murano in 1291. Also, the city's glass craftsmen sequestered in a single, more easily monitored location where trade secrets could be kept. Glassmakers passed on their secrets only to their offspring for generation to generation--giving Venice a near-monopoly in quality glass products throughout Europe that lasted for centuries.
We took a group tour on a boat that took us from the ship to Murano to tour the glass factory where artisans with 30 years of experience demonstrated hand-blowing glass.
Murano is a cluster of five small, closely spaced islands in the Ventian lagoon, less than two miles north of the city of Venice. Murano's islands, like those of Venice, are linked by bridges and separated by canals. Everything about the town reminds you of Venice.
Glassmaking in Venice dates back to at least the 10th century, and possibly as early as the 5th century. By the late 1200s, the production of glass objects was the city's major industry. Not only did Venetians produce lots of glass, they made glass of the very finest quality.
Murano's reputation as a center for glassmaking was born when the Venetian Republic, fearing fire and the destruction of the city's mostly wooden buildings, ordered glassmakers to move their foundries to Murano in 1291. Also, the city's glass craftsmen sequestered in a single, more easily monitored location where trade secrets could be kept. Glassmakers passed on their secrets only to their offspring for generation to generation--giving Venice a near-monopoly in quality glass products throughout Europe that lasted for centuries.
We took a group tour on a boat that took us from the ship to Murano to tour the glass factory where artisans with 30 years of experience demonstrated hand-blowing glass.
Lighthouse where we docked, which was to the right of our glass factory.
This was the glassblower that demonstrated how to make a handblown horse. He certainly made the process look fast and easy with his experience and by using the right tools.
The glass blower placed a sheet of paper on the finished product, and there was still so much heat in the glass, the paper caught on fire.
Finished product!
This was a room we walked by with an artisan polishing a beautiful glass bowl.
And then, of course, we were guided into the showroom where you could buy all sorts of Murano/Venice glassworks, masks, etc.
Chandeliers are a speciality.
We then walked from the glass factory around Murano's quiet streets.
An unusual glass sculpture of a woman in one of the squares.
Loved this very Venetian-looking window!
This interesting piece of glass artwork was next to Murano's clock tower,...
...which looked similar to a Dale Chihuly glass design.
Church of St. Peter Martyr was first built in 1437 and then reconstructed in 1509 after a fire.
Entrance to church
We just loved the bridges and the different colored buildings crowding around the canals.
What Venice would be like without all the congestion!
The Island and Church of ST. GIORGIO MAGGIORE--
After visiting Murano, we continued our tour with a vaporetta ride that stopped just outside this 16th century Benedictine church on this quiet little island.
The church is a basilica built between 1566 and 1610 in the classical renaissance style and looks like a temple with its white marble facade. It is located just across the lagoon from St. Mark's Square.
The interior was very bright with undecorated, white-surfaced walls.
They were using steam escaping from a large vat to represent the Holy Spirit (or something like that) the day we were there.
Lighthouse on the island
Lighthouse and bell tower
Close-up of church's bell tower
This picture shows how close San Giorgio Island is to St. Mark's Square!
Leaving St. Giorgio Island
On our return to the ship, we passed by the C Stucky Hilton--a splendidly restored flour mill.
What an amazing experience to see the extraordinarily beautiful city of Venice with its setting, its architecture and its artworks! There is no city quite like it in the world. Everybody dreams of going there. However, we learned that the fragile city is struggling against mass tourism and steady deterioration of its underwater foundations. One third of all cruise ships worldwide come to Venice each year. So, who knows how much longer Venice will stand up. However, we were grateful to be able to see and experience Venice!
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After two days in Venice, our next stop is MONTENEGRO.
2 comments:
That Murano glass is my all time favorite! It's amazing how they make it, and you never get sick of looking at it! Venice has a bit of everything....looks like you saw it all!
Until I saw all these pictures, I had sort of forgotten how great seeing the glass factory and this whole little island was. I'm so glad you have reviewed everything so well so that not a single memory has to fade! Fantastic job again, Joyce!
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