20 Apr
Venice

The Venetian rosebud Festival: a history of eternal Love

The 25th of april is a very important date for Venice: on this day, the city celebrates its patron saint, Saint Mark, and the traditional “festa del bocolo” (rosebud festival), a sort of Valentine’s Day.

Before the tradition of Valentine’s Day was born, the venetians celebrated love during saint Mark’s day with the beautiful rosebud tradition.

The origin of this custom goes back to IX century, when Venice was ruled by Doge Orso I Partecipazio.

It was his daughter, Maria, who became one of the main character of the legend that lays behind the Festival.

The legend tells that Maria, also known as Vulcana, fell in love with Tancredi, a young troubadour of humble beginnings.

For this reason, their love couldn’t come true: it was inconceivable that the Doge’s daughter could marry a miserable poet. In order to fix this situation, Maria suggested his lover to follow emperor Charlemagne in the war against Moors: once he came back like a hero and a winner, Tancredi would be a worthy groom for Maria.

Tancredi left with the emperor and his knights. Months passed by and the news of Tancredi’s heroic courage spread through all christian lands, until it reached Venice.

Joyful, Venetians were preparing to receive him like a hero; Maria, thrilled, was waiting the day she would finally marry her beloved.

Unfortunately, Tancredi was wounded to death during the battle and died on a rose garden. His blood stained a rosebud, that dyed red.

The legend says that, with his dying breath, Tancredi gave that rosebud to Roland, the famous hero, begging him to go to Venice and give it to Maria.

After the war, loyal to the promise, Roland arrived in Venice. It was Saint Mark’s day.

He gave Maria the rosebud, red by her lover’s blood. Heartbroken, Maria died that very night, holding on tight the rosebud close to her chest.

Since then, according to tradition, every 25th april, saint Mark’s Day, every man gives a red rosebud to his beloved, as a sign of eternal love.

05 Apr
Murano Glass

The secrets of an ancient art.

From the age of the ancient Phoenicians to our own, the art of glass working has been entrusted to just a few, worthy masters, who have passed their knowledge with judicious circumspection from one generation to the next.

For centuries, the secrets of the profession have been jealously guarded in ancient glassworks, time worn spaces where it is still possible to savour that magical craft that has brought countless masterpieces into the world, each entirely unique in its genre.

Speaking of glassworks, it is said that the Doge, the ruler of the Most Serene Republic of Venice, ordered that all glass working activity be relocated to the island of Murano to protect the historic city centre from the risk of fire. However, that was not the only reason to choose the island.

Indeed, the story goes that it was the corporation of master glassmakers – a notoriously closed shop, and obsessively guarded – who themselves sought to relocate to Murano to better protect their secrets.

Inside these foundries, since ancient times, skilled masters have succeeded in emulating the magical process that, by pure chance, centuries earlier on the sandy banks of a Syrian river, gave rise to the first glass.

A meticulously measured blend of substances – silica (from sand), soda ash, lime, sodium nitrate and others – is used to produce a vitreous substance that can be worked into glass objects.

In the furnace, this material is fused at around a thousand four hundred degrees. Because of these searing temperatures, the mixture is handled using long poles, and worked with traditional tools that are repeatedly doused in water.

Once the glass has been prepared by skilled artisans, the noble masters can give free reign to their creative genius, shaping the material with elegant dexterity to create pieces that are entirely unique, products of an art form that has been passed down through the generations.

Techniques, forms and colours will vary according to the masterpieces envisioned by these consummate artists.

Once the composition has been forged and the glass has cooled, it is decorated by expert Venetian artists.

And still today, the secrets of the art are scrupulously preserved, perpetuating a genuine Venetian tradition.

29 Mar
Murano Glass

A journey to the origins of beauty.

Vetro Da Amare celebrates the union between the noble art of Murano glassmaking and discerning floral decoration.

According to legend, the glass we have known and loved for centuries was first created by an almost magical accident.

One day, Phoenician merchants picked up a hard crystal to try and light a camp fire. In the heat of the flames, this crystal melted and mixed with the sand, creating the first glass.

From the sandy banks of a river in Syria, the precious material spread across the entire Mediterranean region over the centuries.

The origin of glassmaking in Venice can be traced back to Roman times.

Tradition has it that Venetians from Roman towns along the Adriatic coast from Adria to Altino were the first to move to the islands of the lagoon and begin the manufacture of glass.

Pure, perfectly transparent and crystal clear glass was first produced on the island of Murano in the 15th century.

This was the start of a long tradition of craftsmanship. Murano glass, a material of a thousand forms and colours has been requested, appreciated and loved by great and noble families ever since.

This centuries-old craft, handed down from one generation of master glassmakers to the next, is perfectly complemented by the creative genius of the skilled artists who decorate glass with delightful floral compositions, capturing the charm of roses for years to come.

From the wonder created by accident comes a desire to achieve even greater enchantment.

A beauty enhanced by beauty, that demands to be loved.