Murano glass

Murano glass is glass made on the Venetian island of Murano, which has specialized in fancy glasswares for centuries. Murano’s glassmakers led Europe for centuries, developing or refining many technologies including crystalline glass, enamelled glass (smalto), glass with threads of gold (aventurine), multicolored glass (millefiori), milk glass (lattimo), and imitation gemstones made of glass. Today, the artisans of Murano are still employing these centuries-old techniques, crafting everything from contemporary art glass and glass figurines to Murano glass chandeliers and wine stoppers, as well as tourist souvenirs.

Today, Murano is home to a vast number of factories and a few individual artists' studios making all manner of glass objects from mass marketed stemware to original sculpture. The Museo del Vetro (Glass Museum) in the Palazzo Giustinian houses displays on the history of glassmaking as well as glass samples ranging from Egyptian times through the present day.

History

Murano

Murano is a series of islands linked by bridges in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy. It lies about 1.5 kilometres (0.9 miles) north of Venice and measures about 1.5 km (0.9 mi) across with a population of just over 5,000 (2004 figures). It is famous for its glass making. It was once an independent comune, but is now a frazione of the comune of Venice.

Location

Murano is composed of seven islands, linked by bridges, separated by eight channels.

History

Murano was initially settled by the Romans and from the sixth century by people from Altinum and Oderzo. At first, the island prospered as a fishing port and through its production of salt. It was also a centre for trade through the port it controlled on Sant'Erasmo. From the eleventh century, it began to decline as islanders moved to Dorsoduro. It had a Grand Council, like that of Venice, but from the thirteenth century, Murano was ultimately governed by a podestà from Venice. Unlike the other islands in the Lagoon, Murano minted its own coins.

Murano (restaurant)

Murano is a restaurant situated in London, England. It was opened in August 2008 by Angela Hartnett and Gordon Ramsay. Murano was purchased outright from Ramsay by head chef Hartnett with the handover taking place in October 2010. It has received one Michelin star.

Description

The restaurant's street address is 20 Queen Street, London, next door to Indian restaurant Tamarind of London which also has a Michelin star. Murano was opened in August 2008 by Gordon Ramsay and Angela Hartnett. In the kitchen, Diego Cardoso is the head chef. The restaurant largely serves Italian food. Murano was purchased outright from Ramsay by head chef Hartnett with the handover taking place on 8 October 2010.

Reception

In January 2009, the Michelin Guide awarded the restaurant one star. This star has been retained since then, and in 2014, Murano was again rated one star in the Michelin Guide. In an October 2008 review, Matthew Norman of The Guardian lauded Murano's "superb" staff service and its "majestic" food. Jasper Gerard of The Telegraph paid Murano a visit in September 2008, praising the quality of the food and givfing it a score of 8.5 out of 10. After sampling a few dishes at the restaurant, Zoe Williams of The Telegraph commented that "Murano proves the chauvanists wrong. Women can - and do - cook to the highest level." Rating Murano with four out of five stars, a reviewer for the magazine Time Out wrote in an October 2012 review that she enjoyed the restaurant's "perfectly proportioned" crab tortelli. On Murano's interior design, she wrote, "Plump upholstery, crisp linens and warm leather ensure a sumptuous, serene setting for a meal that draws as much on French fine dining as Italian staples".

Murano (skyscraper)

The Murano is a residential skyscraper in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Part of a condominium boom occurring in the city, the Murano was announced in 2005 and was developed jointly by Thomas Properties Group and P&A Associates. The building, named after Murano, Italy, was completed in 2008 at a cost of US$165 million. The site, previously occupied by a parking lot, was the location of the Erlanger Theatre from 1927 to 1978.

The blue glass and concrete, 43-story, 475 feet (145 m) skyscraper was designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz and Associates. Murano's condos range between 740 square feet (69 m²) and 2,625 square feet (240 m²) and were designed to be loft-like with each featuring a balcony. The building features ground level retail space and an adjacent parking garage. Located in the West Market Street neighborhood of Center City, a neighborhood that first saw residential development in 2002, the building struggled to fill its units during the late-2000s recession. In July 2009 the Murano's owners held a successful auction on forty of the building's units. Thomas Properties Group lowered the price for the remaining unsold units based on what the forty units went for at the auction.