Like the city of Venice, Murano comprises a cluster of small islands, connected by bridges. Murano has been the center of the glassmaking industry since 1291, when furnaces and glass craftsmen were moved here from the city of Venice, prompted by the risk of fire to the buildings and homes (which at that time were constructed almost entirely of wood), and the disagreeable effects of the smoke.
The island of Murano is about a mile across the water from Venice and was already inhabited in Roman times. “Amurianum” was its original name. Murano continued to grow in population and prosperity, reaching its greatest splendor in the 16th century when many palaces and houses, churches and monasteries, gardens and orchards arose side by side with glass factories to demonstrate the prosperity of this wealthy community.

The island was so densely populated that by the 11th century, the Doges were encouraging the islanders to move back to Venice. The artisans of Murano started to sell their products abroad in the mid- 4th century. They quickly became known for producing small beads of glass as well as mirrors, both of which became a major Murano export during the 15th century. Within fifty years, the island’s glasswork had lost much of its utilitarian character and had become a fully fledged art form. Because of the growing importance of the glass industry, its artisans had to submit to severe political restrictions in order to balance their very considerable privileges. Unlike the rest of Europe, Venice did not require a man to belong to a glassmaking family as a condition for learning the art. Any talented apprentice could rise, step by step, through the ranks to become a master glassmaker. However, the glassmakers were forbidden to emigrate from Venice, or all of their worldly belongings would be taken from them. This is why you will find old traditional family names of the Murano glass blowers, as the art has traditionally been passed down from generation to generation.

Today, Murano is inhabited by approximately 6,000 “Muranese” residents. A Murano glass artist is known as a Maestro, or a "glass master". The craft of the glass master is fascinating. The preparation of the glass is slow and the process changes according to the type of desired glass: for a common glass the fusion must reach 1400/1600 degrees Celsius; while for crystals, instead of using calcium carbonate, potassium carbonate is used. Lead, aluminum, zinc, barium, and carbon dioxide are added to increase stiffness and to help prevent the glass from becoming fragile over time. The glass master has no model before him; only his skill and his imagination. Having patiently put the glass through a great many and variety of operations, the work of art comes out perfect from the hands of the master and is placed together with all the other works of the day in a cooling gallery.

Attractions on the island include the Glass Museum, housed in the large Palazzo Giustinian, the Church of Santa Maria e San Donato (known for its twelfth century Byzantine mosaic pavement and said to house the bones of the dragon slain by Saint Donatus), the Church of San Pietro Martire and the Palazzo da Mula.