Pietro Bigaglia: the genius of Aventurine who illuminated Murano in the 19th century
Pietro Bigaglia was born in Murano in 1786, the son of Lorenzo, an important furnace owner. He seemed destined to follow in his father’s footsteps, but his life took an unexpected turn when, in 1807, after having begun his law studies in Padua, he was forced to return to Murano to take over the family business due to his father’s death.
A visionary entrepreneur
Bigaglia did not limit himself to carrying on his father’s legacy but immediately proved to be a visionary and innovative entrepreneur. In 1815, he decided to dedicate himself exclusively to the “conterie” industrysensing the potential of this sector. He expanded his factory, introducing new technologies such as tubes and“ferrazze” for cutting and rounding beads, and experimenting with new compositions of enamels and glass pastes.
The Master of Aventurine
But Bigaglia’s true masterpiece was the rediscovery and perfection of aventurine,that sparkling glass paste with golden flecks that had been the glory of Murano glassmakers during the Renaissance. With tenacity and ingenuity, Bigaglia experimented with new recipes and processing techniques, succeeding in obtaining an aventurine of exceptional quality, more transparent and with brighter reflections.
His artifacts that combined aventurine with other enamels and glass pastes, such as obsidian and chalcedony, aroused everyone’s admiration and earned him numerous awards at international exhibitions, from Vienna to Paris, from London to Milan.
An all-Round Innovator
But Bigaglia was not content to excel in the production of aventurine. He continually experimented with new techniques and materials, such as filigree glass with inlays of aventurine and colored enamels, and delicate mosaics in enamels and aventurine, which rivaled in beauty those of Florence and Rome.
He collaborated with the best master glassmakers and bead makers of Murano, such as the Franchini brothers, famous for their refined millefiori canes, and the Ongaro brothers, specialists in filigree and reticulated glass. From his factory came objects of extraordinary beauty and technical virtuosity, such as refined chalices, vases, lamps, and glass jewelry.
An imperishable legacy
Pietro Bigaglia passed away in Murano in 1876, after a life entirely dedicated to the art of glassmaking. He left as a legacy not only a thriving industry but above all a heritage of knowledge, techniques, and masterpieces that would inspire generations of Murano glassmakers.
Today, admiring his artifacts preserved at the Glass Museum of Murano we cannot help but be dazzled by the genius and mastery of this great protagonist of 19th-century Murano glassmaking art. Pietro Bigaglia, with his passion and vision, knew how to make the ancient tradition of Murano glass shine with new light, paving the way for innovation and modernity.
