Glassblowers on Venice’s Murano scorched by blazing energy bills

Glassblowers on Venice’s Murano scorched by blazing energy bills

VENICE: The blown glass creations forged in the furnaces on Venice’s Murano islands are prized around the world-but soaring gas prices are threatening the centuries-old craft. “It’s a huge problem… A hurricane has hit the economy,” Luciano Gambaro, head of the Promovetro glass association, told AFP, describing bills that have risen a whopping 600 percent. Murano’s artisans fashion everything from tiny, colored animals to majestic chandeliers, seven days a week.

To do so, they need one key thing: heat. Energy is their second biggest expense, after labor costs, and they are suffering from record gas prices worldwide. They were paying 20 cents ($0.23) per cubic meter until September. “On the December bill, the price was 1.27 euros, a rise of over 600 percent,” said Gambaro, who employs six people and is feeling the strain.

There have been glassmakers on Murano-a series of islands linked by bridges-since the 13th century, when they were moved from Venice proper after devastating fires which began in their furnaces. Some have kept their creations in vogue by partnering with renowned designers. Others have seen their glass included in art displayed in major museums. In a bid to stave off a crisis, the Veneto region forked out three