On February 16th, I traveled to Venice on a work trip weekend. During this trip, on one of my appointments, I visited Barovier Palace in Murano (Venice).
As I’ve stated previously, I am always on the hunt for novelty objects, art, and design that can evoke exceptional Italian craftsmanship.
Murano has been known historically as a glassmaking center, and this tradition dates back to the 13th century. This island (really, it is a collection of islands) initially directly exported glass beads, then promptly turned into Europe’s leading glass producer, and held a monopoly on this industry for centuries, later lost with the exposure of some of their glassmaking techniques.
Today Murano is still famous for its chandelier production and houses factories of some of the most significant glassmaking brands in the world.
One of these major brands, Barovier & Toso, itself dating back to the 13th century, owns Barovier Palace. A palazzo built in the 1920s, its interiors have been renovated and reinterpreted in an innovative key.
I received a lovely reception on the ground floor of the Palace, which is dominated by shades of black and enveloped by a dim and evocative light.
The showroom manager, Antonella Paron, guided me on a fantastic presentation of the palazzo, now a veritable luxury temple dedicated to celebrating light in all its manifestations.
Barovier & Toso, which in previous years has focused on lighting and chandeliers, has partially returned to its roots: glass ornaments. Recovering previous original drawings and realising objects that combine tradition and the modern.
These exquisite creations are displayed and organised in collections on the 1st floor, composed of 5 rooms in total, each room inspired and focused on color: white, gold, blue, red, and black. The color themes encompass everything in these spaces, including the boiserie and the Venetian terrazzo floors, which are accented with the flecks of color which specifically characterise each room.
The second (and final floor) contains a pleasant café as well as a Sala which houses grand chandeliers of various inspiration: classical, modern and contemporary.
The floors were all connected by a golden staircase, but we reached the 1st floor with an elevator that might as well have been a room itself: it was big, contained a sofa and a chandelier and slowly carried us upwards toward our destination. It was amazing.
With this minimal yet dramatic itinerary, Barovier & Toso has been able to construct a complete and dramatic sensorial experience, and I’m looking forward to working with them in the future.
Finally, I would like to thank Mrs. Luciana Borinato (export manager) for giving me the opportunity to examine such a presentation, such a stunning display of Italian creativity and passion.
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