Literary Journey · Venice
The Glassmaker
in Murano
26 April 2027 · 4 nights · Murano, Venice
Follow Orsola's footsteps through the canals and glass workshops of Murano, where centuries of craftsmanship and the world of Tracy Chevalier's novel come together.
A book and a place
Step inside the world of The Glassmaker
Murano is one of those places where the real world and the world of a novel seem to overlap. For centuries its glassmakers have worked beside the Venetian lagoon, creating objects that have travelled far beyond the island.
Tracy Chevalier's The Glassmaker brings that history to life through Orsola Rosso, a young woman born into a family of glassmakers in fifteenth-century Murano.
On this Books in Places trip, we'll stay on Murano itself, explore the places connected with the novel, visit a working glassmaker and have time to enjoy both the island and Venice.
The essentials
Your Murano literary escape
Four nights
Staying on the island
Four nights with breakfast
Tracy Chevalier
The book
Read The Glassmaker where its story begins
A sweeping historical novel about glass, family,
creativity and the women whose stories are often left
out of history.
Tracy Chevalier's
The Glassmaker follows Orsola Rosso,
born into a family of glassmakers on Murano in the
fifteenth century.
The novel moves through centuries, following Orsola
and the changing world around her while exploring
creativity, tradition, ambition and the position of
women in the world of Venetian glass.
Reading it on Murano gives the story an extra dimension.
The canals, workshops, lagoon and centuries-old
traditions that shape the novel are all around us.
A guided visit to a Murano glassmaker will give us the chance to see this extraordinary craft being practised today.
The setting
Stay on Murano
Not just visiting Venice for a few hours. Staying on the island where the story is set.
Murano is only a short boat ride from Venice, but it has a very different atmosphere. Its canals are quieter, its streets less crowded and its history is inseparable from the extraordinary craft that made the island famous.
We'll be staying at the Hyatt Centric Venice Murano, giving us the island as our base rather than simply visiting it as a day trip.
That means there is time to wander, stop for a drink, browse the glass shops, sit beside the canals and experience Murano after many of the day visitors have gone.
During the trip
Read, explore and discover the art of glass
The book gives us a reason to look at Murano differently. The island, its history and its extraordinary craft give us plenty to explore beyond the pages.
Follow Orsola's footsteps
Explore the canals, streets and places that help bring the world of The Glassmaker to life.
Visit a glassmaker
See traditional Murano glassmaking for yourself with a guided visit to a working glassmaker.
Discover Murano
Take time to explore the island, its canals, churches, shops and remarkable glassmaking heritage.
Explore Venice
Venice is only a short boat ride away, giving us the opportunity to explore the city during the trip.
Talk about the book
Join a relaxed Books in Places discussion about The Glassmaker and the themes running through it.
Enjoy your own time
There will be plenty of space to wander, read, have coffee or simply sit beside the lagoon.
A centuries-old tradition
See Murano glass being made
Glass is not simply a backdrop to The Glassmaker. It is at the heart of Murano's identity.
We'll visit a Murano glassmaker with a guide and see the extraordinary skill involved in transforming molten glass into something beautiful.
It is one of those experiences that makes a book-inspired trip different from simply visiting a destination.
One of the world's most famous centres of glassmaking for centuries.
Coming on your own?
Come on your own. You won't be on your own.
Most Books in Places guests travel alone. You won't need to arrive with a ready-made group of friends to enjoy this trip.
There will be shared experiences, book discussions and opportunities to eat and explore together, while you still have plenty of freedom to spend some time however you choose.
And with a group of people who have all chosen a trip because of the same book, conversation tends to come very easily.
A small island, a remarkable book and a group of people who already have something in common.
What's included
Four nights in the heart of Murano
- Four nights at the Hyatt Centric Venice Murano
- Flights to Venice
- Breakfast every day
- Books in Places book club discussion of The Glassmaker
- Guided visit to a Murano glassmaker
- Exploring Murano together
Meals other than breakfast and airport-to-Murano transfers are not included. Public water buses run regularly between Venice Marco Polo Airport and Murano, and private transfers can also be arranged.