Le Stanze del Vetro
Le Stanze del Vetro (“The Glass Rooms”) is an exhibition space on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, dedicated to the study and display of glass as an art form of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. A long-term cultural project of the Fondazione Giorgio Cini and the Pentagram Stiftung, it presents monographic shows on artists, designers and Murano glassworks, restoring critical attention to a medium central to Venetian identity.
At a glance
- Type
- Exhibition space and study centre for modern glass art
- Period
- Opened 2012
- Style
- Contemporary gallery within a former monastic island complex
- Location
- Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice, Italy
- Coordinates
- 45.4291° N, 12.3448° E
Overview
Le Stanze del Vetro occupies a building on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, across the basin of San Marco from the heart of Venice. It is run jointly by the Fondazione Giorgio Cini and the Pentagram Stiftung as a space devoted to glass as a fine and applied art. Exhibitions alternate retrospectives of leading designers with explorations of historic Murano production.
History
The project was launched in 2012 on the island long associated with the Cini Foundation, which since the mid-twentieth century has restored the former Benedictine monastery as a centre for culture and scholarship. Le Stanze del Vetro added a permanent programme dedicated to glass, accompanied by a study archive devoted to twentieth-century Venetian glassworks.
What you see
The galleries present rotating exhibitions of vases, sculptures, lighting and design objects in glass, drawn from major makers and Murano furnaces. Displays are arranged to highlight technique, colour and the dialogue between artists and master glassblowers. The setting on San Giorgio Maggiore frames the visit with views over the lagoon.
Cultural significance
Le Stanze del Vetro has helped renew scholarly and public interest in glass as a modern art form and in the heritage of Murano. It positions Venetian glass within the wider history of twentieth-century design and craft.
Practical information
Admission to the exhibitions is generally free, with seasonal opening hours. Check the official website for the current programme and visiting times.
Getting there
The island of San Giorgio Maggiore is served by the Venice public waterbus (vaporetto), a short hop from San Marco. The exhibition space is within the Cini Foundation complex on the island.
Sources & resources
Further reading: San Giorgio Maggiore on Wikipedia. More cultural heritage destinations at culturalheritageonline.com.
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