The Furnace
An ancient story
Venice is the hub of a very specific artisanal sector: the production of mosaic tiles. The magnificent results adorn unique monuments such as the Basilica di San Marco in Venice, Santa Sofia in Constantinople, San Vitale in Ravenna, and even the Golden Buddha of Singha Bury in Thailand, just to name a few. These places rediscover their splendid beauty thanks to those who still today continue to manually produce the tiles, following the traditional methods of master glassmakers.
The company once owned by Angelo Orsoni, founded in 1888, has upheld this precious tradition for over a century, passing down the manufacturing secrets from generation to generation, from father to son. Precious materials such as enamels and a wide range of gold, along with an infinite variety of colors, are recreated almost magically, with an almost alchemical ritual, every day. These materials are stored in the Color Library, which contains thousands of shades cataloged like books.
Ancient techniques, originally developed by Byzantine masters and later by Murano glassmakers, are still used to reproduce the exceptional art of glass fusion, capturing ever-new and bright colors.
Angelo Orsoni (1843-1921), the founder and progenitor of the company, not only followed the practices of the old master glassmakers but also innovated with new machines and processes to improve smalti production.
