Murano

The history of Murano is inextricably linked to the art of glassmaking, which began in earnest in 1291 when the Venetian Republic ordered all glassmakers to move their foundries to the island. This decree was primarily a fire prevention measure, as the wooden buildings of Venice were at constant risk from the intense heat of the furnaces. However, it also served to isolate the craftsmen, allowing the Republic to safeguard the secret techniques of glass production that made Venice the premier glass center of the world for centuries. By the 14th century, Murano had become a sovereign-like entity with its own laws and even its own coinage, and its glassmakers were granted a unique social status akin to nobility.