Explore the exhibition

In the first century B.C., the glass-blowing technique is discovered in Tyre, on the east of the Mediterranean coast, and later spread throughout the Roman Empire. The invention of the blowpipe was a real technological revolution and made glass products accessible to large sectors of the population.

When the Romans conquered Egypt, many of their glassmakers emigrated and glass factories spread throughout the Empire. After the fall of Rome, glass manufacturing declined in Europe but continued to prosper in Iran, Iraq and Egypt.

At the end of the 13th century, a
prosperous glass industry appeared in Europe and in the 15th century Venice became the main producer. Its master glassmakers were so highly valued that they were forbidden from leaving the island of Murano to prevent their secrets about compositions and techniques getting out.

In the 18th century, the first
manufacturers appeared in France and England. With the Industrial Revolution, coal started to be used to heat the furnaces and the first attempts to automate production were made.

It was not until 1925 that mass production came to the glass container industry. The invention of the IS machine (with individual sections and a gob feeder) allowed the installation of continuous furnaces that work 365 days a year.