Murano

You can’t visit Venice without visiting Murano too one of my teachers once said. World known famous for their glass, Murano and its glass history go back as far as the 8th century. Glass is a solid matter which, in its raw state, is made of siliceous sand, soda, lime and potassium melted together in an oven at a temperature of 1500°C, to become a flexible material. Then, in the simplest scenario, the glassmaker removes this substance from the oven with the help of a pipe, and shapes it using various specialized instruments that changed little since antiquity, such as pliers, scissors and wooden shovels. "Glassblowing" refers to a method of blowing inside the pipe to give the glass object a form.Venetian glass reached the peak of its popularity in the 15th and 16th centuries when they discovered how to produce clear glass. At one point Murano glassmakers were the only producers of crystal glass and mirrors in Europe. As time progressed, the sophistication of glassmaking exploded with a variety of shapes, colors, patterns and sizes. People loved it for its natural beauty and simplicity. 
 When we arrived to the small island of Murano we were lucky enough to view a real glass making demonstration. The tour guide goes on to say that it takes roughly 15-20 years to perfect the ways of the glass making trade. It takes roughly around the same amount of time to be considered a master, all others are simply assistants or students of the trade. My obsession with everything Murano took a huge toll on my bank account this past weekend. I wanted it all, watches, figurines, bracelets, wine corks, I could’ve blown through hundreds of euros had someone not stopped me. I love everything about this form of art. 
 "History Of Murano Glass." History of Murano Glass. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2013. <http://www.glassofvenice.com/murano_glass_history.php>.