The map of Italian glass art
All of Italy's glass museums, in one place.
From Murano to Altare, from Empoli to Colle di Val d'Elsa: the history, collections, addresses and opening hours of the museums that safeguard a thousand-year-old art.
The catalogue
The glass museums
Search by name or city, or filter by region and type.
VenetoMurano Glass Museum
Murano, VeniceThe glass museum par excellence
- Roman-era glass finds
- 700 years of Murano glassmaking
- Historic chandeliers, mirrors and filigree glass
LiguriaAltare Glass Art Museum
Altare, SavonaItaly's other great glassmaking tradition
- Housed in the Art Nouveau Villa Rosa (1905)
- Glass art from 1650 to the present day
- Historic tools of the glassmaker's craft
TuscanyEmpoli Glass Museum (MUVE)
Empoli, FlorenceTuscany's green glass
- Housed in the Salt Warehouse of 1365
- Empoli's celebrated green glass
- Reconstructions, videos and historical footage
TuscanyCrystal Museum
Colle di Val d'Elsa, SienaItaly's crystal capital
- Italy's only crystal museum
- On the site of the historic Boschi glassworks
- Exhibits from the 14th century to contemporary design
UmbriaPiegaro Glass Museum
Piegaro, PerugiaA museum inside the old furnace
- Housed in the nineteenth-century furnace
- Preserves the last glass of the furnace shut down in 1968
- Glass history from the Middle Ages to the 20th century
TuscanyGambassi Terme Glass Museum
Gambassi Terme, FlorencePre-industrial glass of the Valdelsa
- Around 3,000 finds from the 13th–16th centuries
- Reconstruction of the Germagnana furnace
- Archaeological park with a 14th-century workshop
Tuscany«J. F. Mariani» Historical Museum of Glass and Bottles
Poggio alle Mura, Montalcino, SienaGlass and bottles in a Sienese castle
- Bottles and glass from late Roman times to today
- The evolution of shapes and techniques
- Set in the castle of Poggio alle Mura
Trentino-Alto AdigeGlass Museum – Old Carisolo Glassworks
Carisolo, TrentoBohemian crystal in the Dolomites
- A historic crystal factory (1805–1888)
- Craftsmen from Bohemia, Alsace and Lorraine
- Bohemian-style crystal, documents and old photographs
Piedmont«Cav. G. Avena» Museum Complex
Chiusa di Pesio, CuneoThe Royal Glass and Crystal Works
- The Royal Glass and Crystal Works (from 1759)
- The leading Savoyard glassworks until 1854
- From common bottles to fine crystal
LiguriaMagical Transparencies – The Glass of Ancient Albingaunum
Albenga, SavonaRoman glass from ancient Albingaunum
- Roman glass from the 1st–3rd century AD
- From the excavations of the Albingaunum necropolis
- The celebrated cobalt-blue plate with putti
Friuli-Venezia GiuliaNational Archaeological Museum of Aquileia
Aquileia, UdineOne of the world's great Roman glass collections
- One of the greatest collections of Roman glass
- Unguentaria, urns, cameo and gold-band glass
- A testimony to ancient glass technology
VenetoNational Archaeological Museum of Adria
Adria, RovigoEnnion's cups and Roman glass
- The cups signed by the master Ennion
- Early imperial glass (1st c. BC – 1st c. AD)
- Mould-blown cobalt-blue glass
VenetoNational Archaeological Museum of Altino
Quarto d'Altino, VeniceThe murrine glass of ancient Altinum
- Precious Roman-era murrine glass
- Finds from the ancient city of Altinum
- A new museum layout on the northern lagoon
VenetoConcordia National Museum
Portogruaro, VeniceGlass from the colony of Iulia Concordia
- Roman glass from the colony of Iulia Concordia
- The engraved bowl of "Daniel among the lions"
- One of the Veneto's oldest archaeological museums (1888)
VenetoAtestino National Museum
Este, PaduaRoman glass of ancient Ateste
- Roman glass from the 1st–4th century AD
- Over 65,000 finds in eleven rooms
- The history of the ancient city of Ateste
VenetoLe Stanze del Vetro
Island of San Giorgio Maggiore, VeniceTwentieth-century glass art and beyond
- Devoted to 20th-century and contemporary glass art
- A Fondazione Cini and Pentagram Stiftung project
- Two major exhibitions a year on San Giorgio Maggiore
Friuli-Venezia Giulia«J.J. Winckelmann» Museum of Antiquities
TriesteThe techniques of ancient glass, on San Giusto hill
- Every ancient glass technique in one dedicated section
- Products of the Aquileia workshops (1st–2nd century AD)
- Early medieval glass and eastern imports
CampaniaNational Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN)
NaplesThe Blue Vase and the glass of Pompeii
- The Blue Vase, a cameo-glass masterpiece (1st c. AD)
- Roman glass from Pompeii and Herculaneum
- The Vesuvian context, unique in the world
CampaniaDuca di Martina Museum in Villa Floridiana
NaplesVenetian and Bohemian glass on the Vomero hill
- Some 200 Venetian, Bohemian and painted glasses (15th–18th c.)
- Milk glass, opalines and églomisé pieces
- The neoclassical Villa Floridiana and its park above the bay
PiedmontPalazzo Madama – Civic Museum of Ancient Art
TurinItaly's richest collection of painted glass
- The d'Azeglio collection: ~200 painted and gold-etched glasses
- Murano glass from the Renaissance to the 19th century
- The «Glass Room» and medieval stained glass
LombardyMuseum of Decorative Arts – Sforza Castle
MilanGlass and stained glass, from the Middle Ages to design
- Historic glass and stained glass from the Middle Ages onwards
- The Pezzoli donation: 45 designer glass works, 1950 to today
- One ticket for all the Castle museums
No museum matches your search.
Where they are
The map of Italian glass
Every museum on the map. Click a pin to open its page; the colours indicate the type of museum.
Across the country
A tradition running the length of Italy
Italian glass art does not live in Venice alone: from Liguria to Tuscany and down to Naples, each region preserves its own history of furnaces, masters and incandescent matter.
The project
A living map of Italian glass
museodelvetro.it was created to bring together, in one place, the museums that tell the story of glass in Italy: historical collections, old furnaces, documentation centres. A starting point for visitors, enthusiasts, students and anyone wishing to rediscover an often little-known heritage.
- Verified listings with addresses, opening hours, contacts and links to official websites.
- Maps to reach every museum with ease.
- In-depth reads: the history of Italian glass, a glossary of techniques and visiting itineraries.
- Open data: the catalogue can be downloaded as a JSON dataset (CC BY 4.0 licence).
- Continuous updates: the catalogue grows with everyone's contribution.
Report a museum
Is a museum missing?
Do you know a glass museum that is not listed, or have you spotted information that needs updating? Write to us: the catalogue is collaborative.
Write to info@museodelvetro.itFrequently asked questions
FAQ on glass and its museums
How many glass museums are there in Italy?
The museodelvetro.it catalogue lists 21 museums in 9 regions: glass and crystal museums, archaeological collections of ancient glass and venues devoted to contemporary glass. The catalogue is continuously updated, also thanks to readers' suggestions.
What is the most important glass museum in Italy?
The Murano Glass Museum, housed in Palazzo Giustinian and part of the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, holds the world's most important historical collection of Murano glass. Italy's other great tradition is that of Altare, in Liguria, told by the Altare Glass Art Museum.
Where can you see Roman glass in Italy?
The most important collections of Roman glass are in the national archaeological museums of Aquileia, Adria (with the famous cups signed by Ennion), Altino, Portogruaro and Este, alongside Magical Transparencies in Albenga and the MANN in Naples with the Blue Vase of Pompeii.
What is the difference between glass and crystal?
Crystal is lead glass: it contains at least 24% lead oxide, which gives it weight, brilliance and its characteristic ring. Italy's crystal capital is Colle di Val d'Elsa, in Tuscany, where about 95% of Italian crystal is produced. More terms in the glass glossary.
How can I report a missing museum?
The catalogue is collaborative: you can report a missing museum or a correction by writing to info@museodelvetro.it.
Can the data on museodelvetro.it be reused?
Yes: the full dataset of museums can be downloaded in JSON format and reused under the CC BY 4.0 licence, crediting museodelvetro.it as the source. Third-party photographs and texts keep their own licences, listed in the credits.