Island about a mile north of Venice that is famous for its glassware shops and factories. The island has been the center of a thriving glasswork industry since 1291, when the risk of fires in crowded Venice forced glass artisans to move to Murano. The main attraction on the island is, of course, glass, with countless shops selling Murano glass beads and souvenirs, factories to watch master glass makers performing their craft, and the Murano Glass Museum in the Palazzo Guistinian to learn about the history of glass making.