MURANO GLASS CHANDELIERS – A STYLE BETWEEN HISTORY AND DESIGN

THE VENETIAN CHANDELIERS OF TODAY:
FROM TRADITION TO CREATIVE INNOVATION

The traditional Venetian chandelier is recognised as one of the most luxurious chandeliers in history, embellishing halls, theatres, and royal palaces.

We talked in a previous article about Murano glassmaking, Venetian master glass-makers and glassmaking techniques.

The classic Venetian chandelier (also known as the Rezzonico chandelier) is a handcrafted glass chandelier which is characterised by the presence of intricate arabesques of leaves, flowers and fruit enriched with coloured glass and, for this reason, called “ciocca” (literally: bunch of flowers). A type of chandelier that, in the 18th century, made Murano famous all over the world.

Today, the workshops of Venetian masters use working techniques handed down over the centuries with innovation and a modern design, without abandoning the preciousness of traditional processing.

THE CLASSIC VENETIAN CHANDELIER: STYLE, DESIGN AND FEATURES

Murano glass chandeliers are unique creations, true works of art considered masterpieces of the Italian tradition and best represent luxury Made in Italy worldwide.

The particular type of processing, so rich in detail, is made possible by the type of glass used in Murano – that is soda glass – and by the extraordinary skills of the master glassmakers, who have developed incredible processing techniques to twist and shape the glass paste with extreme precision.

The classic Venetian chandelier is composed of a metal structure covered with clear or coloured glass. But the colouring of the glass is not given by applying a colour onto the glass, yet by the colouring of the glass paste itself.

Murano glass is obtained from a mixture of silica sand, soda and lime, the result of which is a colourless and clear compound to which it is possible to add other components (minerals, chemical derivatives etc.) to colour the glass paste.

The colours, techniques and materials used change according to the result that the master glassmaker wants to achieve and thus, for example, aquamarine is achieved through the use of copper and cobalt, while for ruby red, a gold-based solution is used.

The architectural concept of the Venetian chandelier provides a game of solids and voids. The space inside is left almost empty and the decorations are scattered all around the central support, separated by hand-pulled glass arms – a type of processing that is possible thanks to the particular lightness of Murano glass and the skills of masters glass-makers.

There may then be more decorative elements, such as pendants and croziers, which further embellish the lighting fixture.

The Venetian chandelier is a baroque chandelier that never goes out of fashion, always unique and, for this reason, particularly precious; a luxury chandelier that represents the best of glass craftsmanship and of Made in Italy.

PATRIZIA VOLPATO’S MODERN TAKE ON THE TRADITIONAL VENETIAN CHANDELIER

The preciousness of the Venetian chandelier, together with the love for the rich traditions of our city – Venice – and the craftsmanship that is here expressed at its highest level, are the founding elements of the concept featured in the Patrizia Volpato lighting fixtures, but with a vision as well as a modern and innovative design.

Murano glass is the protagonist of numerous collections of Patrizia Volpato chandeliers, not only as a reinterpretation of the classic style, but with new forms that come to life from noble materials and which through and thanks to the craftsmanship of the processing, become luxurious light furnishing elements.

Murano glass leaves, for example – a timeless classic of the most traditional Venetian chandeliers – are revived in the Petali collection – a collection that captures the shape of the elements characterising traditions and proposes them with a modern take by means of the grit decorations.

Another example is the Iconica collection, which combines the classic elegance of flowers and leaves in coloured and clear Murano glass with the modern and linear design of the structures of the lighting fixtures. The wall light and the floor lamp  are a perfect example of how classic and modern can meet and become, as well as a lighting fixture, also a delicate and refined furnishing element.

But it is the Intrecci collection that brings back the aristocratic beauty of the traditional Venetian chandelier, from which it takes the metal structure to then further develop by means of hand-pulled glass arms and decorations made of pendants, croziers and lampshades. The collection offers chandeliers and wall lights with different alternatives as for sizes and colours.

Coloured Murano glass is also the protagonist of the Iride collection, which offers pendant chandeliers with a contemporary design, in which the metal structure becomes discreet to enable the colours and the preciousness of glass craftsmanship to express all of their elegance and refinement.

Venetian chandeliers are appreciated all over the world and represent one of the most precious types of lighting and furniture.

Each collection by Patrizia Volpato, even the most contemporary, pays homage to the preciousness of glass, becoming an expression of luxury Made in Italy thanks to a modern design and meticulous processing of raw materials, always of the highest quality.

Discover the new forms of light of the collections by Patrizia Volpato and bring the colours, the atmosphere and the light of Venice to your home.