The glassblowers of the small island of Murano, in the lagoon of Venice, have long been famous for the colors and sophistication of their art, but the global rise in gas prices is making it difficult to maintain furnaces, threatening their survival.
Since glassmaking began on the island in the late 13th century, the industry has survived economic crises and wars, supplying the world with high-value china, chandeliers and jewelry.
Murano glass manufacturing has about 60 companies employing about 1,000 workers. He was already struggling to recover from the crisis of the COVID-19 and the sudden increase in fuel costs represents a new challenge.
Gas prices have risen this year across Europe due to tight supply, increased demand following the relaxation of lockdowns by COVID-19 and Russia not supplying more volumes than contracted.
“At the end of September we were paying 40,000 euros (US $ 45,488) (per month), in October we were 170,000 euros” for the same amount of gas, said artisan Cristiano Ferro, who has already closed his furnace.
Rome has set aside more than € 3 billion to soften the impact of increases in retailers’ energy bills, but Murano artisans say this is not enough.
“Here we consume about 10 million cubic meters of gas a year for ourselves; gas is what water is for others ”, says Luciano Gambaro, owner of a glass factory.
The glazier Giovanni Maschietto is even more pessimistic. “I think everything here is going to die,” he said. The government doesn’t seem to do much to save us. People need to buy bread, not glass, you can’t eat glass ”.
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