Saturday, April 23, 2011

The what, where and how of Murano glass!



Murano Glass Expert is the author of this article on Murano Glass.



Murano is a commercial port located off the shore of Venice, Italy. A major attraction for tourists and a favorite destination for art glass lovers, glassmaking on the Venetian island has earned worldwide fame. By the 16th century, almost half of the island\'s population was involved in the glassmaking industry. Such was the finesse of their craftsmanship that they monopolized the market almost overnight.

A strive to develop new techniques and refine existing ones grabbed the attention of traders all across the globe as they flocked to the Venetian island of Murano for smalto, millefiori, lattimo (crystalline glass, colored glass, milk glass respectively). Today, the traditional techniques are still being used and a further diversification of products has turned Italian Murano glass into a rich industry. From contemporary glass lights to chandeliers and classy Murano lamps, Murano glassware is being produced largely for export and sale to tourists. Museo Vetrario (glass museum) traces the history of glassmaking from the very start to where it stands today. It even displays samples dating back to the Egyptian times. The museum has become a top tourist destination for its vivid depiction of the Italian Murano glass making culture.

The manufacture of Murano glass is complex to say the least. Murano glass art generally uses the lampworking technique. This technique has however been replaced in recent times by flameworking where a gas fuelled torch is used to melt clear or colored glass. The silica used to make glass becomes liquid at very high temperatures. During the cooling process, there is a reverse solidification. Midway however, the glass is soft can be molded into any shape the expert craftsmen desire. This they do either by hand movements or by shaping tools. The historical glass factories that had revolutionized the art of Murano glass making centuries ago stand today as some of the best known glass brands in the world. Venini, Pauly and Antica Vetreria Fratelli Toso (1854) are recognized all over for their flawless designs in Murano glass lights, glass lamps, chandeliers and Italian Murano glass figurines. There is hardly anyone who could deny the level of top notch workmanship involved.

It is not just the silica that is important to the artisan as raw material. Agents (flux) act as catalysts in the melting process. Sodium oxide slows down the solidification of glass which gives the glassmaker more time to shape things up. Then again, sodium is added to a glass mixture to make the surface opaque while nitrate is added to the same to eliminate bubbles. Some of the tools used to mould the glass include borselle, pontello and tagianti. Without proper utilization, it is almost impossible to arrive at the desired result. All in all, there is a lot of hard work going into even the simplest looking Italian Murano glass lamps or the more fancy Murano glass chandeliers. With advancement in science and technology, things are practically looking up. The art is on the verge of realizing new dimensions in terms of share in export market and foreign exchange influx. So the next time you decide brighten up your world, go in for authentic Italian Murano glass lighting.


This article is brought to you by Direct From Venice, an online store specializing in Murano Glass Jewelry.  We look forward to a visit by you to our site at www.directfromvenice.com

Friday, April 1, 2011

Eating in Italy, a Guide to an Important Part of the Italian Culture...mangia!

Author:  Larry Aiello

Italians don\'t eat to live...Italians live to eat! Once you have a taste of their cuisine, you will know why. Many people mistakenly believe that Italian cuisine consists of only pizza and spaghetti. Nothing could be further from the truth!

Italian cuisine is very varied and very regionalized. That\'s one of the beautiful things about Italy is that visiting each region is almost like visiting a new country. The cuisine in Bologna (region of Emilia-Romana) is a lot different than what you would find in Sicily.

There are many different types of eating establishments in Italy. I recommend that you try as many as you can.
Meal times are usually around 2PM for lunch and around 8PM for dinner time. Dinner can even start later down south around Naples or Palermo.

A full Italian meal (excluding breakfast) will usually run the gamut from:
* Antipasta – Appetizers
* Primo piatto (First course -usually pasta or rice)
* Secondo piatto (Second course - usually meat, fish or chicken)
* Contorni - Vegetables
* Insalata - Salad
* Dolci - Desserts

Consequently, a dinner ('cena') can last for a few hours. You will always have to ask for your check in an Italian restaurant. A good Italian waiter (or waitress) will never bring the check without you asking for it (unless it is closing time). With that in mind, everything is usually very carefully made with the finest ingredients. They don\'t rush things. If you are in a hurry, you do not want to eat in an Italian restaurant. But since you are here for vacation, just relax and try to enjoy 'la dolce vita', or the good life, that the Italians are experts at doing.

Tipping: Usually the restaurant will include the 'servizio' in the bill. However, it is not uncommon to leave some change on the table, (or maybe even 1 Euro per person) if the service was exceptionally good. At a bar, it is customary to leave 10 or 20 Eurocents on the counter after you are done.

For Italian households, lunch ('pranzo') is usually the main meal of the day which starts around 1 or 2PM. However, in the northern industrialized cities such as Rome and Milan, dinner ('cena') is becoming the most important meal of the day for working families.

Italian breakfasts ('la colazione') are usually not much to brag about....they will start their day with an espresso and a croissant-type pastry called a 'cornetto'. You will have a hard time finding a breakfast consisting of eggs and pancakes in Italy, as you would in the United States or Canada or even Great Britain.
Let us, of course, not forget about the famous Italian wine. Italy is the world\'s leading producer of wine. Not only does it produce and export more than any other country, it also offers the greatest variety types, colors and flavors. Some of the vines around Rome have been producing wine for many centuries. But the art of wine-making itself goes back thousands of years in Italy. However, it was not until the 1960\'s that a nation-wide program regulating the industry was enacted by the Italian government. An indication of DOCG (Denonominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) will ensure that the wine has passed the strictest standards by the government. However, wine tastes are very subjective, and that label will not always ensure the best tasting wine. Many of the table or house wines ('vino di casa') served by restaurants will also be very good. I suggest that you experiment with as many wines as possible. And of course, don\'t drink and drive in Italy. They have tough laws as well.

And when it comes to ice cream, or 'gelato,' Italy has some of the finest that there is to offer. You can savor just about any fruit, flavor or combination in 'gelato' form.

So there you have it....tips to eating in Italy. It is usually not a good idea to start a diet when you visit the lovely country of Italy. But it is a chance of a lifetime to savor some of the best cuisine on the planet. And if you eat sensibly, and use your feet as a form of transportation, you may come back from Italy and step on the scale and be pleasantly surprised.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-tips-articles/eating-in-italy-a-guide-to-an-important-part-of-the-italian-culturemangia-515993.html

About the Author
Larry Aiello is an Italian-American living in Florida that loves to share his knowledge of Italy. Visit his website for Italian travel-related information, tips, travel advice, recipes, community, etc . He is also a mortgage broker and offers consultation on home-buying and refinancing your mortgage through http://www.TampaMortgageConsultant.com.

This article is brought to you by Direct From Venice, an online store specializing in Murano Glass Jewelry.  We look forward to a visit by you to our site at www.directfromvenice.com