Orsoni Smalti Factory in Venice

A Venetian gondola on the Grand Canal.

A drain in the street - guess it just drains to the water below.
A good looking Italian fixing his boat.
This is the Murano water bottle filler on the street!
A view of the Doges Palace on San Marco square.
The boat stop at San Marco Square.

Barbini glass studio. Barbini was the original glass artist on Murano who did solid glass pieces and was very innovative in his techniques. His studio was next door to our apartment and was in an elegant old house. Barbini died about 2 years ago at age 94.
Barbini studio.
Barbini courtyard.
We visited the mirror factory on Murano. They make gorgeous glass mirrors
More examples of the larger mirrors at the glass factory.

A barge boat in Venice.
Fish market was happening in Venice when we arrived on the vaporetto.
Fish market setup with their boat in the background.
Little street in Venice where the Orsoni Smalti Factory is located.
Window screen.

The machine they use to break the glass smalti into little pieces for the mosaics at the Orsoni Smalti Factory.
Breaking the silvered glass into pieces - carefully.

On Thursday, April 17 we visited the Orsoni Smalti Factory in Venice. They make smalti (the glass pieces) for making mosaics and are the best in the world. Part of the factory is a school and there were some Americans there taking a class. They also have a Bed & Breakfast in the old mansion--anyone can stay here if it is not full of students. The photo above is there smelti library - they have sheets of all their colors.
Mosaic piece in the courtyard.
Silvered glass pieces getting bagged.
The pots they cook the glass in -- the crucibles. Felix the cat is checking them out. Felix is a neighbor cat who loves to visit the factory and school. It is a very nice area with gardens, grass and a lovely old mansion. The crucibles last about 6 weeks and then they have to throw them out because they crack.
Dave Butts with Felix.

Bin of blue glass scrap! Beautiful in the sun though. It has silvered edges and was shining in the sunlight.
The old color charts in the mansion showing all the smalti colors.
The group of glassmakers that visited the Orsoni Smalti Factory.
Bins of smalti pieces in all the colors.
A mask made out of mosaic pieces. It was very heavy so would be uncomfortable to wear but was beautiful to look at.

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