ssander

Many years ago (when I was in college in the 1960s) we were able to get right up close to the glassworkers in one of the Murano factories – no chance of me remembering which one.

Are there any factories these days – visiting in May – that let you in the factory (rather than just give a demonstration in an auditorium such as they have in Corning, NY)?

I realize that things have changed a lot since then – you can’t get “touching-close” to Stonehenge anymore – but I was hoping that there are some factories in Murano that still are open to the public. We’re going in May.

Thanks.
SS

adrienne

There are plenty of glass blowing factories - they want to sell their wares to all those watching the glass blowing - that's the purpose of the demonstration.

PalenQ

Is there a Murano glass factory that ain't open to the public should be the Q? For reasons adrienne gives they are all open.

ssander

<i>Is there a Murano glass factory that ain't open to the public should be the Q?</i>

Ha ha...thanks....any recommendations...or are they all pretty much the same? We'd like to be really close to the action (safety rules permitting).

SS

adrienne

You can get close in all of them but the ones I've seen aren't blowing anything all that interesting, just some small trinkets such as swans. All the public demonstration foundries are all pretty much the same. If you're a serious buyer then perhaps you can see more intricate glass blowing but you have to be ready to buy.

ssander

Thanks, adrienne...we're really not interested in buying anything big...just a small souvenir, perhaps...so we'll just find a place that looks interesting.
SS

Rostra

SS, I'm very much into ancient Roman history so Venice to me was very interesting but I never looked into its history in detail.

But I recently saw a documentary on Venice and I never knew that these glassblowers were actually prisoners on that island as they were the only ones that knew the secret of this technique which was very profitable.

IIRC?

Although prisoners they were like 'The bird in the gilded cage' they had their freedom and money but couldn't leave the island?

Guards watched any water escape routes esp at night, if they got away there was a reward and punishment if caught?

But one did and so the secret was out and their monopoly was finished?

Perhaps a google on Murano's history would enhance your visit as my memory and sometimes documentries are inaccurate.

Also a long while ago a poster somewhere who was quite knowledgeable on Venice claimed than many of the glass souvenirs sold *in* Venice were actually imported from a nearly country (ex-Yugoslavia) where the labor and factory costs was very much cheaper?