Murano glass in Venice threatened by gas prices

The explosion in gas prices is threatening entire sectors of the Italian economy, in particular the famous glass and crystal manufacturers on the island of Murano, in Veniceaffected by the increase in energy bills of up to 600%.

“A hurricane that has hit the economy is a huge problem,” commented Luciano Gambaro, president of the Association for the Promotion of Murano Glass, Promovetro.

The manufacture of glass Blowing must be done in ovens that must remain on seven days a week to guarantee the fire that shapes the glass, so energy is the second largest expense in factories after work.

“Until September we paid 20 cents per cubic meter. In the December invoice the price was 1.27 euros, an increase of more than 600%”, explained the businessman, who employs six people in his workshop, in the heart of Murano, the small island of the Venetian lagoon, famous for its artistic glasses and crystals.

In November, the Veneto region, aware of the centuries-old importance that the production of artistic glass represents throughout the world, allocated three million euros to help glassmakers in the face of the record rise in gas prices.

“Unfortunately, that money is going to run out at the end of February,” lamented Gambaro, “very worried” about the prospect of having to “pay the full price starting in March.”

For him, it is “a very strong blow” from “a problem more serious than COVID,” he assured.

“Despite everything, we had managed to continue working,” sighs the craftsman, whose production is mostly destined for export, either for luxury hotels and restaurants or for wealthy individuals.

Gas “is just the tip of the iceberg”, emphasizes his colleague, Cristiano Ferro, owner and manager of the Effetre Murano company, which employs 32 people for 16 ovens.

“All the raw materials have increased by 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%: sand, clay, the mineral oxides that are used to color glass,” he explained.

Over a thousand years

Given the situation, there are few solutions for entrepreneurs in the sector, so they have had to increase the price for sale: “We have raised prices from 15% to 30%, we will see how the market reacts,” says Gambaro with philosophy .

Murano glass, all made by hand, allows the creation of authentic multicolored works of art, some of which are exhibited in important museums.

It is a luxury product that has been able to adapt to all times, thanks also to the collaboration of great designers.

According to the president of Promovetro, the solution involves “an agreement between European countries” to “find countermeasures” against Russia, the largest supplier.

For Cristiano Ferro, the glaziers have been “among the first affected by the problem but it is a reality that concerns all Italian manufacturing activity”.

Mario Draghi’s government knows the situation well. “It is likely that for next year the cost of total energy will absorb all the funds of the plan for the national economic reactivation” post-pandemic granted by the European Union, warned this Monday the Minister for the Ecological Transition, Roberto Cingolani, quoted by the agency ANSA.

Italy is the first beneficiary of that plan with some 200 billion euros ($228 billion).

Despite the threat hanging over Murano and its glass artists, Luciano Gambaro wants to remain optimistic. “We have a problem, but we will overcome it. We have been here for a thousand years!” he stressed.

Indeed, already in the 13th century, faced with the terrible fires caused by the wood-burning ovens of the stained glass windows, which were then located in the old town, the Venice authorities ordered the transfer to Murano of all the workshops, a measure crowned with the success.