Vetreria Vistosi

Vistosi family represents one of the oldest dynasties of Murano glassblowers; their origins go back to the XVIII century.
In 1945 Guglielmo Vistosi opened his furnace, taking with him some really innovative concepts both at the design and at the production level.

Fascinated by industrial design, he attempted to put together local glassmaking techniques with the newer stylistic tendencies. His research would find valid successors, so much so that over the following years the firm's production was increasingly characterized along these lines.

After Guglielmo's death (1956), his younger brother Oreste took over, helped by Guglielmo's sons, Gino and Luciano .

The firm specialized in the production of objects for lighting purposes - it represent the most important part of its production. In addition to the works of his nephews, Oreste had some collaborators, artists as Peter Pelzel , Alessandro Pianon , Fulvio Bianconi (the Danese Gallery in Milan - Italy put on an exhibition of Bianconi's glassware in November 1963).

The same year the Compasso d'Oro was awarded to the Vistosi firm thanks to series of cylindrical vases with a spiral-like decoration, design by Bianconi.

During the 60s the firm was awarded top accolades, by taking part in the Venice Biennale and in the most important shows in Italy and abroad. One of the techniques most often used is murrne's, that are, however, used with extreme sobriety as simple elements of decoration: we can see it in the vases series designed in the early 60s by Peter Pelzel and executed with an exceptionally fine hand by the maestro Francesco Martinuzzi .

In the following years the glass factory used the craftsmanship of some of the most famous Italian designers, such as Gae Aulenti , Vico Magstretti , Eleonore Pedruzzi Riva, Ettore Sottsass . But considerable management difficulties crop up little by little, and after having changed owners a few times, the firm eventually closed in the early 90s.

From 1993 the mark Vetreria Vistosi is again operative, producing industrial design lightning.

It is no longer in Murano Island but in the outskirts of Venice.

Vetreria Vistosi Official website:

www.vistosi.it