Murano
The
island of Murano has been the manufacturing center for Venetian glass
since the 13th Century, when Venice's glass industry was moved from the
city center to Murano for safety reasons. (If you lived in a crowded
city, would you want to have a fiery furnace next door?)
Our 11-page guide to "Murano,
the Glass Island" is probably the most comprehensive guide to Murano
on the Web, so on this page we'll just show you two aerial photos with
brief comments about what you're seeing. (Another useful resource is our
"Venice Islands Tour"
article, which tells how to make a circuit of Murano and several other
islands by public transportation.)
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Photo 1 shows
the entire island--which actually consists of several islands that
are connected by bridges. Murano feels smaller than it looks in the
satellite image, and you can easily see most of its attractions in
half a day (or a full day, if you want to spend a few hours in the
Museo del Vetro or
Glass Museum, have lunch, and do some serious shopping.)
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In photo 2, you
can see the main canals that divide the island, along with various
glass factories and the 12th Century
Basilica dei Santi Maria e Donato with its dome of gilded mosaic
and a magnificent inlaid floor.
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Photo 3 shows
the southwestern corner of Murano, where the Colonna vaporetto
stop is a convenient place to catch a
water bus
back to Venice.
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