Empoli, located just a few kilometres from Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance, is renowned as one of Italy’s historic glassmaking centres. Its glassmaking tradition developed in the modern era alongside major changes in the storage and transport of wine, when glass bottles and demijohns gradually replaced wooden and terracotta containers.

The growing popularity of glass vessels — more hygienic, lighter, and easier to transport — was made possible by advances in glass-melting techniques. The principal centres of production in the Val d’Elsa area included Montaione, Gambassi, and Empoli, which housed many of the finest master glassmakers’ workshops. Their craftsmanship was so highly regarded that many were sought after by the court of the Grand Duke of Florence.

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