File

Murano Glass Museum – Venezia
Fondamenta Giustinian 8 – Murano – 30100 Venezia (VE) – Fax 041 5275120

Summary

The Murano glass museum proposes an interesting thematic exhibition focused on the products and the techniques of the art glass between the 15th and the 20th centuries. Since they have anticipated the extraordinary results achieved in the last centuries, the first section of the museum provides an exhaustive overview of the high quality levels that characterized the glass production in the Roman period, thanks to a set of display cases containing numerous undamaged and well enhanced materials, which refer to a time span between the beginning of the Imperial Age and late Antiquity. Most of the items displayed come from the necropolises of the ancient cities of Jader (Zadar) and Aenona (Nona) in Dalmatia.

Collection history

The Murano Glass museum is located in the ancient Bishop’s Palace in Torcello, which became the venue of the museum in 1861 after being acquired by the Municipality of Murano. At the beginning, the collection occupied only the central hall of the piano nobile (noble floor), then it was further enlarged and covered increasingly large exhibition spaces inside the building. When the Municipality of Murano was abolished in 1923, the museum was annexed to the Venice Civic Museums. An overall re-organization of the collection took place in 1932. The archaeological collection, whose current layout was accomplished in the early 80’s, includes artefacts partially belonging to the original core of the museum, partially coming from the deposits of the Regional Board for Archaeology in 1936 (Levi’s bequest) and in 1963 (glasses of the St Donatus’ Museum of Zadar, assigned to Italy following a post-war agreement with Yugoslavia).

Description

Mezzanine – Archaeological collection

The room hosts a rich thematic collection of glass artefacts of Roman origin, which refer to a time span covering the whole Imperial Age. An explanatory panel, placed on the right wall, clearly explains the technical aspects of the art glass in this historical period.
The visit starts with the display cases at the centre of the room. On the left there are the partially reconstructed grave goods of a burial from Salizzole (Verona) dating back to the 1st cent. A.D. Going on, there is a display case on the right, which contains necklaces of moulded glass beads (1st cent. A.D.), moulded glass rings and sticks (1st-2nd cent. A.D.) and other necklaces of moulded and blown glass beads (1st-4th cent. A.D.).
Then there are four display cases containing four large funerary urns dating back to the early Imperial age; one of the cases contains almost all the grave goods of a burial from Aenona, in Dalmatia (1st-2nd cent. A.D.), which include small glass and ceramic vessels and a lamp.
At the bottom of the room there is the most conspicuous part of the collection, which consists of different kinds of glass artefacts, most of which are undamaged; they occupy 32 display cases, which are well enlightened and provided with accurate explanatory captions. The objects (unguentaria, plates, bottles, glasses, cups and other kinds of vases) come mainly from the excavation carried out in the late 19th century in the necropolises of the ancient cities of Jader (Zadar) and Aenona (Nona) in Dalmatia; the display cases 25-27 contain objects attributed to Syro-Palestinian workshops of the 3rd-4th cent. A.D. (Levi’s bequest). The display case 28 contains a piece of the floor of Lucius Verus’ villa in Rome on the via Cassia (2nd cent. A.D.), next to some fragments of glass bowls with pictorial decorations of different periods.
The items are displayed in a chronological order, from the most ancient objects, dating back to the 1st cent. B.C.-1st cent. A.D., to the most recent ones, which can be traced back to the 4th-5th cent. A.D.; yet the majority of the finds date back to the first centuries of the Imperial Age.

Plan

Visiting

Admission: Negli orari di apertura

Ticket: Si

Price: Ticket Full price: 8,00 euros
Ticket Reduced: 5,50 euros
Children aged from 6 to 14; students aged from 15 to 25*; escorts (max. 2) for groups of children or students (min. 10); citizens over 65; staff of the Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali*; holders of the “Rolling Venice Card”; F.A.I. members*
Free entrance: Venetian citizens and residents; I.C.O.M. members*; children aged from 0 to 5; disabled people with helper; authorized guides*; interpreters accompanying groups (1 free tickets every 15 tickets with prior bookings); MUVE Friend Card holders
School Offer: 4,00 euros per person (valid from September 1st to March 15th): for students of all schools levels accompanied by their teachers; a list of the students’ names must be provided by the school.
MUSEUM PASS: The Museum Pass is the cumulative ticket for the Civic Museums of Venice currently open and for those connected (Palazzo Fortuny and Clock Tower not included).
This ticket is valid for 6 months and grants one single admission to each museum.
‘Museum Pass’ Full price: 24,00 euros
‘Museum Pass’ Reduced price: 18,00 euros
Family ‘Museum Pass’ Offer: for families of two adults and at least one child (aged 6 to 18): 1 pass full price, the others at reduced tariff.
School ‘Museum Pass’ Offer: 10,00 euros per person (valid from September 1st to March 15th): for students of all schools levels accompanied by their teachers; a list the students’ names must be provided by the school.

School access

Opening Times

Opening Days

Tipology	When	Specs
Winter	Monday	10.00-17.00
Winter	Tuesday	10.00-17.00
Winter	Wednesday	10.00-17.00
Winter	Thursday	10.00-17.00
Winter	Friday	10.00-17.00
Winter	Saturday	10.00-17.00
Summer	Monday	10.00-18.00
Winter	Sunday	10.00-17.00
Summer	Tuesday	10.00-18.00
Summer	Wednesday	10.00-18.00
Summer	Thursday	10.00-18.00
Summer	Friday	10.00-18.00
Summer	Saturday	10.00-18.00
Summer	Sunday	10.00-18.00

Winter openings: 1 November till to 31 March. Summer opening: 1Aapril till to 31 October.
Winter thicket office opening: 10.00-16.30. Summer thicket office opening: 10.00-17.30.
Closed on 25 December, 1 January, 1 May.

Recommended tour time (minutes): 20

Services for visitors

Toilet

Bookshop

Educational Services

Guide a stampa
Italian

Information boards
Italian and English

Captions under exhibits
Italian and English

Multilingual ads: Inglese
Panels and captions.

Guided Tours
TELEPHONE BOOKING: Call center +39 041 42730892
From Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm.
Saturday, from 9 am to 2 pm. Closed on Sundays and holidays.
ON LINE BOOKING on http://museovetro.visitmuve.it/en/pianifica-la-tua-visita/bookings/

Educational activities
The Glass Museum’s activities are currently mainly held in Italian language and, therefore, directed to Italian-speaking visitors.
For further inquiries or bookings of activities for non Italian speaking visitors, please contact: info@fmcvenezia.it

Educational workshops
Activities, games, i.e., interactive tours, ateliers, i.e., creative workshops offering hands-on experience and learning opportunities through experimentation, sharing and cooperation; ABC of the museums, i.e., guided tours that allow a fast but comprehensive visit, with a focus on the history of the building and the collections (in collaboration with Pierreci Codess Coopcultura).
Activities for exhibitions, i.e., educational programmes created on the occasion of temporary exhibitions to help convey their cultural and scientific contents. Activities tailored to different needs, with resources and sessions dedicated to educators in support of the creation of customized programmes. Activities for educational stays, to help students to gain an insight not only of the museums but also of the city and its artistic and cultural heritage. Activity book, i.e., a self-led tour, guided by a “detective story”, a whodunit unfolding entirely inside the Doge’s Palace on the tracks of the murderer in “The Perfect Murder”. Appointments on the Educational programme exclusively dedicated to teachers and educators.
The Educational Program 2012-2013 for non-Italian speaking visitors soon online on http://museovetro.visitmuve.it/en/attivita/per-la-scuola/per-la-scuola/

Library and documentation centre

Other activities
Halls for temporary exhibitions on the first floor.