Murano is a series of islands linked by bridges in the Venetian Lagoon. 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.
Murano’s reputation as a center for glassmaking was born when the Venetian Republic, fearing fire and the destruction of the city’s mostly wooden buildings, ordered glass makers to move their foundries to Murano in 1291. Murano glass is still associated with Venetian glass.
