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The name of Serena family

In 1517 the Council of Ten from the Republic of Venice gave Filippo de Catani, who came to Murano decades before, the authorization to open his own glass factory with its sign “a la Sirena”, which later lent its name to the family of glass masters. Having a great experience in the creation of “smalti de ogni sorte et cossì de musaichi”(glazes and mosaics of every kinds), he found the way to reproduce the colours green and yellow of those glazes, and discovered how to create an ornament “lustrato al foco et fatto di vedro durissimo”(“polished with the fire and made by resistant glass”).

An invention for History

The Serena family, supplier of the Italian royal families, is one of the first three families that contribute to increase the fame of the island of Murano worldwide. In 1527 Filippo and his brother Bernardo Serena invented a particular manufacturing technique and obtain the exclusivity on the production for ten years. The technique is the decorative artifice “a facete con retortoli a fil”, later known as filigrees, one of the most fascinating creations of Renaissance.

Glass factories and aristocracy

In 1605 the Golden Book of Magnificent Community of Murano, book of the nobilty of the island, was established and it included eight representatives of the Serena family. Some of them are owners of the furnace “alle Tre Crose d’Oro”. Bartolomeo Serena invented the technique that allows to produce the white glass called “lattimo” and in 1638 he was named “Gastaldo of Art”. In XVIII century Gian Battista Serena was nominated “Camerlengo” of Murano, and the emblem of the Serena family was engraved on the “oselle”, silver coins whose coinage represented the exclusive privilege granted by the Republic of Venice.

Mastery and filigree

In XIX century the Museum of Glass in Murano (1861) was founded, and Angelo Serena designed the majestic chandelier that still hangs nowadays in the centre of the noble hall of the palace. Giovanni Serena was a talented master in the production of filigreed glass, and he realized about two thousand glasses for the wedding of Queen Victora of England. In 1895 he was awarded a silver medal with honours at the exhibition of artistic glass in Murano.

In Friuli Venezia Giulia

In 1909 Giovanni Serena’s sons, once he sold the glass factory, moved to Spilimbergo. A small city located one hundred kilometres away from Venice, in the centre of the region Friuli, in a territory of mosaicists who had been committed to the decoration of the Basilica of San Marco since the XVI century. In Spilimbergo the Serena brothers acquired from the last countess Querini Monaco the palace of XV century characterised by a Venetian gothic style.

The school for mosaicists

Gino Serena, who was born and brought up in Murano, grandson of the master glassmaker Giovanni, in 1949 became mayor of Spilimbergo. He received the honour of Knight of Labour and contributed to the growth of the School for Mosaicists of Friuli, the only professional institute of specialization. Councilman of the school, in 1949 he founded the glass factory I.R.M.A. (Decorative Artistic Mosaics Company).

Art and experimentation

Alessandro Serena, the youngest son of Gino, in Spilimbergo created jewels in bas-relief with the technique of lost wax casting, designed mosaic floorings, sculptures and signed a series of silver high-relieves on Murano glass amphorae. Since 1996 he has tested new techniques of transparent glazes’ application and found out the union of mosaic and blown glass.

Ambition, design and light

Michelangelo Serena, Alessandro’s son, born in 1987, nowadays is taking on the heritage of a history that began exactly 500 year ago, and has founded SERENA Luxury Mosaic. After his studies in architecture, he focuses with fiery determination on this new reality. He designs the collections and has exhibited at the Museum of Glass in Murano, and is presenting the collection of lights at Euroluce 2017.
Michelangelo Serena
Piazza Duomo 4, 33097 Spilimbergo (PN) - Italia
P.I. 01726490939
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