The Enduring Popularity of the Murano Chandelier

Murano is a series of islands in Italy that enjoy a reputation that far outweighs its size. Murano lies in the Venetian Lagoon in northern Italy, about 1.5 km north of Venice itself. For a place only 1.5 km across, with a population of just over 5,000 people, Murano is a very well known location indeed. Much of the reputation of Murano is tied up with the construction of glass products, especially a number of famous Murano chandelier designs.

Murano chandeliers have an enduring popularity all over the world, and even today in the 21st century they are coveted by many. While Murano chandeliers were once solely manufactured in the Murano district, they have since become a recognisable style more than simply a place of manufacture. While truly authentic Murano chandeliers are still made on the islands, it is now possible to purchase similar products from other glass makers and chandelier factories all over the world.

The term chandelier refers to any kind of ceiling mounted fixture that has bearing arms. The first known chandeliers had a very simple structure, consisting of nothing more than a central trunk and three or four wooden light bearing arms with candles. Over time however, this basic structure became more ornate and refined, with the inclusion of decorative geometric features and the use of expensive materials. One of the most popular materials used in chandeliers was called lead crystal, a kind of material originally developed by the master glass makers of Murano. While the term crystal can not technically be used to describe glass, the Murano glass makers used the word cristallo to describe the crystal like appearance of their products. This way of naming glass that has been made in this fashion has remained, and lead crystal chandeliers are still associated with the area of Murano.

From the 15th century onwards, the chandelier form became more ornate, refined, and linked to the upper class. When lead crystal became used in chandeliers in the 18th century, this association grew even deeper. The beautiful, light shattering properties of lead crystal soon became highly popular in chandelier fixtures, where they are still used to this day. The island of Murano is where the techniques of lead crystal making were refined and engineered into the chandelier form, and even today this small part of the Venetian Lagoon is associated with the history of the chandelier.