When I was a child, I thought glassmakers were magicians.

I would enter a furnace workshop and see a glowing orange mass emerging from the fire. It looked like liquid honey made of light. Then the master glassmaker would gather it at the end of a long metal blowpipe and, with movements that seemed simple but actually required years of experience, begin shaping it.

The first time I watched glassblowing, one thing surprised me most: the glass was not carved, but inflated. The master gently blew into the pipe, creating a small bubble of air inside the molten glass. Everything began from that bubble.

My grandfather used to say that the secret was timing. Too fast and the glass would lose its shape. Too slow and it would cool down, becoming impossible to work.

The glass is prepared in large furnaces reaching temperatures above 1,000 degrees Celsius. Once fully melted, the master gathers a portion with the blowpipe and continuously rotates it. This rotation is essential because it prevents the soft glass from sagging under its own weight.

Then comes the most fascinating part. The master blows, turns the pipe, and uses pincers, shears, and wet wooden molds to shape the object. Every tool has a purpose. A vase, a goblet, a glass, or a sculpture takes shape little by little through a sequence of gestures passed down through generations.

In Murano’s workshops, several people often work together. One prepares the glass, another helps with shaping, while others add colors and decorations. It is teamwork that resembles a small orchestra, where everyone knows their role perfectly.

When the object is finished, it is still not ready. It must cool very slowly in special annealing ovens. If left to cool in open air, it could crack because of internal stresses within the glass.

Even today, when you enter a Murano furnace, you can watch the same gestures that made the island famous throughout the world. Technology has helped some processes, but the most important moment remains the same: when a simple bubble of air trapped inside molten glass slowly transforms into a unique work of art.

Did you know? Many visitors think glass is blown only once. In reality, the master may blow several times during the process, alternating blowing and shaping until the desired form is achieved.