fossilfly
08-19-2008, 06:42 PM
Times are a changing on Murano! I think this may be a good thing for the island, the glass business is not what it once was, but the additional traffic may not make the residents happy. If a lot of new upscale glass shops figure out how to make sales by treating tourists well, it may be a win/win, but with a smaller glassblowing base of mfrs on the island. Interesting times!
The Financial Times Limited 2008By Paul Bompard in Rome
Published: August 19 2008 19:07
The Venetian island of Murano, where for a thousand years native craftsmen have passed on from father to son the art of blowing and shaping glass, is on the verge of a transformation.
Where, until now, there were just over a hundred glass workshops and little else, there should soon be three luxury hotels.
Tourists visit Murano during the day to see the glass factories and galleries. At day’s end, they return to Venice and Murano shuts down. The hotels could make Murano as lively at night as Venice proper.
Venice town hall confirmed that, last year, the city auctioned Palazzo Colleoni for €4.25m ($6.3m) to the Società Canalgrande, which plans to build a luxury hotel, as does, reportedly, the Ferro family.
In 2006, LaGare, a Milan company part-owned by Air France, bought from the city the building complex known as Le Conterie (the counting house) for €8m. It will be the site of a third hotel.
In the 1970s there were over 6,000 people working in Murano’s glass industry. Today there are only 1,500 craftsmen.
The Financial Times Limited 2008
The Financial Times Limited 2008By Paul Bompard in Rome
Published: August 19 2008 19:07
The Venetian island of Murano, where for a thousand years native craftsmen have passed on from father to son the art of blowing and shaping glass, is on the verge of a transformation.
Where, until now, there were just over a hundred glass workshops and little else, there should soon be three luxury hotels.
Tourists visit Murano during the day to see the glass factories and galleries. At day’s end, they return to Venice and Murano shuts down. The hotels could make Murano as lively at night as Venice proper.
Venice town hall confirmed that, last year, the city auctioned Palazzo Colleoni for €4.25m ($6.3m) to the Società Canalgrande, which plans to build a luxury hotel, as does, reportedly, the Ferro family.
In 2006, LaGare, a Milan company part-owned by Air France, bought from the city the building complex known as Le Conterie (the counting house) for €8m. It will be the site of a third hotel.
In the 1970s there were over 6,000 people working in Murano’s glass industry. Today there are only 1,500 craftsmen.
The Financial Times Limited 2008