The History Behind Italy’s Ancient City of Glass

(via Great Big Story)  For over a thousand years, the island of Murano—just outside Venice, Italy—has been known throughout the world for their exquisite glass manufacturing. After realizing how valuable their glass exports were, the Venetian elite made it illegal for glass makers to leave the islands, as a way of protecting their most guarded secrets. Today, Murano is still home to a large number of world-renowned glass studios and remains a popular tourist destination for art lovers and history buffs alike.