Visit and Demonstration at the Glass School ABATE ZANETTI

The glass school Abate Zanetti is seen as arts centre, as educational and research centre concerning glass working – arisen from the tradition of the island Murano and open for the whole world. The school, open during the whole year, offers courses in collaboration with Italian and foreign school institutes, courses with different levels concerning technical specifications, which are hold by experienced and highly qualified teachers. Moreover the school is the location for important exhibitions, not only in combination with the glass but also contemporary art which made the school prestigious and more significant.

In order to popularise and point on the artistic and cultural tradition of the island , the school offers in addition to the different courses also a conducted tour for groups (adult and school groups), which centres on the demonstration of glass working.

Especially because of its cultural importance, the school intends to offer a visit which differs from the other traditional visits of a glass working factory (which are often made only for a commercial aim). This tour is composed of two parts: first a theoretic part, followed by a demonstrative part, which includes the presentation of the glass working processes in a traditional glass factory.

The first part consists of a short introduction into the history of glass and the physical characteristics of the material, indicating on the uniqueness of the artistic processing of glass on Murano; afterwards the group participate at a demonstration of glass working which is realized by a master glazier of the glass factory.

In addition to the technique and the necessary moves in order to give the form and the decorative elements to the object, the master glazier points on the reactions of the glass during the working process with high temperature, in order to make clear how important it is to observe fundamental rules during the working processes due to the chemical-physical character of the glass.

The tour is accompanied by the transmission of the video „L’histoire du verre“ (the history of the glass) in Italian, English and French language, produced by Glassway and outcome of an international project, which was realised on the island Murano in collaboration with the master glaziers of the glass factories and Murano’s laboratories. The video shows the story of the different techniques from the origin until today and illustrates the artisanry and the realization of the artistic objects made of glass, thanks to the consultation and support of the master glaziers of Murano.

The visit takes 1 hour and 30 minutes. The price for a group of up to 30 persons amounts to 300,00 € +20% IVA (VAT). For each further person the price is 6,50 €, IVA incl.

In case that the group consists of more than 30 persons, the group will be divided. While one part of the group will follow the demonstration in the glass factory, the other part will watch the video in the exhibition hall.


PHOTOGALLERY - click on images to enlarge