Murano Island Glass Museum

The Museo del Vetro (Glass Museum) is in the Palazzo Giustinian on Fondamenta Giustinian, on the island of Murano in the Venetian lagoon, Veneto, Italy. Murano has been the centre of Venetian glassmaking since the furnaces were moved here from Venice in the late 13th century, and the museum traces that history from Roman and medieval glass through to contemporary work. The collection includes Renaissance goblets in enamelled and gilded glass, elaborate 18th-century chandeliers, mirrors, lattimo (milk glass), filigree and millefiori pieces, and 19th and 20th-century revivals. A section on Roman glass includes objects found in the lagoon area. Displays explain techniques such as blowing, cane work and lampwork, and the museum is a useful starting point before visiting a furnace. Visitors typically spend about ninety minutes. The museum is open Thursday to Tuesday from 10AM to 6PM and is closed on Wednesday, with shorter hours in winter. Adult admission is around €14, with a reduced fee of €7 for children. The museum is reached by vaporetto, with Line 4.1 and 4.2 or Line 3 stopping at Murano Museo, and the museum is beside the stop. The quietest time is the morning, before the day-trip groups arrive from Venice, and the afternoon tends to be busier. Furnace demonstrations are given on the island by glassmakers, generally free or at a small charge, and many close by late afternoon. Visitors should be aware that some shops sell glass made elsewhere, so the museum helps in judging quality and identifying authentic Murano work. Photography without flash is generally permitted for personal use.