Venetian Glassblowing Demonstration in Piazza San Marco

Sitting in an old glass factory right in the center of Venice, you'll watch as a local artisan first takes a molten blob of glass out of the fornax (the old Latin word for oven) with a hollow, metal rod.

He'll then begin to shape it into a unique and custom-made piece of glassware. If he's making a jug, for example, he’ll use the rod to roll it around on the table and fashion the main bulb shape. An elegant handle might be added by means of tongs and a skillful double swoosh of his hand.

It's all quite visceral and, of course, his very breath is an important tool, too (you’ll have to visit to learn why).

As the gentle heat of the furnace wafts about you, you might even fancy yourself drifting back to the 1200s.