Murano Island, Venice (Italy)
Murano is a series of islands linked by bridges in the Venetian Lagoon northern Italy. It lies about 1.5 kilometers north of Venice and measures about 1.5 km across with a population of just over 5000. It is famous for its glass making. It was once an independent commune but is now a fraction of the comune of Venice. Murano was initially settled by the Romans and from the sixth century by people from Altinum and Oderzo. At first the island prospered as a fishing port through its production of salt. It was also a center for trade through the port it controlled on SantErasmo. From the eleventh century it began to decline as islanders moved to Dorsoduro. It had a Grand Council like that of Venice but from the thirteenth century Murano was ultimately governed by a podest from Venice. Unlike the other islands in the Lagoon Murano minted its own coins.
