Steeped in history, the Medieval Church di Santa Chiara is one of the most ancient structures on the Island of Murano whose halls have previously hosted everyone from simple nuns to exalted Doges and even Casanova.  Recently restored and reopened to the public, The Glass Cathedral - Santa Chiara now offers the ideal balance of ambiance, entertainment and comfort perfect for masquerade balls, corporate events, private parties and all of your events in Venice. The Glass Cathedral - Santa Chiara is a stunning events venue with a large banquet hall, full service bar, private glass working furnace and many other amenities.

The Glass Cathedral - Santa Chiara is a family owned and operated business located on the Island of Murano in Venice, Italy.  Thei is a local Venetian family who, after more than 30 years of experience in tourism and hospitality, bought the ruins of the Ex Chiesa di Santa Chiara and determined to restore this remarkable space and reopen it to the public as an event, entertainment and exhibition space in Venice.

The Ex Chiesa di Santa Chiara is one of the most ancient structures on the Island of Murano in Venice.  It was built even before the Doge's decree of 1291 ordered all of the glass masters to locate their furnaces on Murano. Originally known as San Nicolo della Torre, Ex Chiesa di Santa Chiara was inhabited a group of Augustinian Monks from as early as the year 1231.  In the mid-fourteenth century it passed into the hands of a group of Benedictine nuns who were, shortly thereafter, expelled from the place due to their scandalous conduct.  They were replaced by the Franciscan Nuns of Santa Chiara, from whom the Ex Chiesa di Santa Chiara also took its name.

Suppressed by Napoleon in 1810, the Ex Chiesa di Santa Chiara was put to various industrial uses from the early 1800's through the mid 1900's.  Its strategic location, on the harbor very near to Venice and the mainland, made the deconsecrated church quite attractive to developers.  In 1826 it was acquired by a glass manufacturer, Fratelli Marietti Milan, and used as a  factory for the production of wine bottles, window panes and mirrors.  In the decades that followed, the Ex Chiesa di Santa Chiara was occupied by various other glass manufacturing firms and administrative offices.  During that time, the former religious complex suffered numerous divisions, additions and restructuring to accommodate a series of owners.  Yet, by the late 1900's it had fallen into such a state of disrepair as to be deemed unsuitable for any use.

The Ex Chiesa di Santa Chiara was little more than an edifice concealing a pile of bricks when the Belluardo family acquired it in 2012.  Nevertheless, they determined to return the structure to its former glory and reopen it to the public as a gallery, event space, demonstration venue celebrating the history and artistry of Murano glass.  The Belluardo family have poured all of themselves, and nearly four years of their lives into the restoration of the Ex Chiesa di Santa Chiara.  They have sought the advice of history and architectural experts, and, whenever possible, have reconstructed the building using the original materials.  It is not unusual to find them throwing their own backs into the work still going on there.