Consorzio Promovetro is always close to the City of Venice and its traditions, even when glass is not directly involved in them, just as it happens in this case.
Towards the end of 17th century the venetian merchant Davide Zappio bought a palace in Rynek square, the main square of Warsaw.
The merchant decided to decorate his palace’s façade with a marble bas relief representing St. Mark’s lion.
During the 20th century, especially during the second world war Nazi bombing, this beautiful work was completely lost, without any surviving trace of it.
The Italian journalist Sebastiano Giorgi, who shared his project with Consorzio Promovetro, came to know the story of the venetian lion during an interview with Robert Kunkel, professor of history of architecture at the polytechnic university of Warsaw.
Now this lion in coming back to life!
The new sculpture, realised by Giovanni Giusto, venetian sculptor specialized in marble working, will take its place in the very same palace, during a special event with the Mayor of Warsaw, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, who has received a special gift from Consorzio Promovetro: a Vetro Artistico® Murano “osella”, representing St. Mark’s Lion.
The connection between Murano and the capital of Poland goes back in the history. In the 18th century the name “Murano” entered Polish toponimy when a Italian architect called his villa “Murano”, to remind the people of the splendour and elegance of Venetian productions.
Nowadays the area called “Muranow”, right in the centre of Warsaw, is named after this territory.
This event represents an occasion to reinforce the relationship between the two cities, which have been connected for centuries thanks to the venetians merchant activities and, why not, to Murano Glass.