Murano

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Murano (Amurianum) is made up of seven islands, which are linked by bridges. It was first settled by the Romans and, from the sixth century, by refugees from Altinum. 

Murano initially prospered as a fishing port and as a manufacturer of salt. However, in 1291 its fortunes took a new turn when it became home to the Venetian glass-making industry. The furnaces were moved from Venice to Murano, out of fear that a fire might break out and destroy the city. The move was also motivated by a desire to protect the valuable secrets of glass-blowing. 

Murano glass was a luxury commodity, highly prized in Europe and beyond and as a result, the glass-maker (vetraio) was held in very high esteem. The secrets of his trade were so jealously guarded that, for several centuries, such craftsmen were forbidden to leave the lagoon, for fear that they would take their knowledge and expertise with them. 

In the fifteenth century, Murano began to be used by many rich Venetians as a recreational resort.  They built elegant palaces, which were often distinguished by splendid gardens. Sadly, almost none of these buildings have survived. The Palazzo da Mula, the most notable medieval house on the island, is a rare exception. Its façade is decorated (just under the roof-line) with two beautiful bas-reliefs, which date back to the second half of the fourteenth century. 

There were once as many as 17 churches on Murano, today there are only four: Santi Maria e Donato, Santa Maria degli Angeli, San Pietro Martire
and Santa Chiara. 
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Murano is home to the Museo del Vetro, a museum devoted to the history and production of Murano glass. 
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Murano was the birthplace of three of the most illustrious artists in fifteenth century Venice, all of whom belonged to the Vivarini family: Antonio Vivarini (active 1440-80), his younger brother Bartolomeo Vivarini (c. 1432-after 1499) and his son Alvise Vivarini (1441-1507). Ironically there are no paintings by any of the three artists to be seen on Murano. However, the Ponte Lungo, the bridge which crosses the main canal, was once known as the Ponte Vivarini. 

The present population of Murano is roughly 4,500, a far cry from its heyday in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries when it had as many as 30,000 inhabitants.  

An aerial view of Murano

Palazzo da Mula