Glass Museum
Just like an open-air museum, the history of the ancient Fabbrica di Cristalli of Carisolo (Crystal Factory) has been revived
The ancient “Fabbrica dei Cristalli” of Carisolo was founded in 1805 by the partners Pernici and Bolognini and was operational until 1888. It produced precious Bohemian-style crystal items.
It is situated at the entrance of Val Genova, in a timber-rich setting (which meant having precious wood fuel) and streams (as a driving force) right on its doorstep. Besides the furnace, the fundamental part of the factory was a powerful mill in which the quartz, extracted from the nearby quarry, was crushed. The firm employed about 70 workers – expert glassblowers – many of whom came from Bohemia, Alsace and Lorraine. The glassworks were active between 1805 and 1888 and its products were appreciated by the courts all over Europe.
After 200 years, the history of the renowned glassworks was brought back to life on the initiative of the current owners of the buildings and descendants of the founder, Demetrio Pernici. After restoration work lasting several years, the Glass Museum was opened and, in 2003, the Fondazione “Maria Pernici – Antica Vetreria” was founded with the aim of rediscovering and preserving the memory of the activities that were performed in the nineteenth-century glass factory.
A historical collection is on display and you can see the crystal objects that were produced by the factory as well as the remaining original documents. The ancient photos on display show an unknown aspect of the valley and you can also admire the glassblowers’ work tools.
