What if these walls could talk at Antiche Vetrerie? They would tell tales of fire, artistry and transformation. This building began as a furnace and warehouse. It served the glass and crystal factory of Chiusa Pesio. That factory moved from Turin in the mid-1700s.
Around 1830, the front was updated. A showroom was added. It featured fine furnishings and a new neoclassical facade. The Antiche Vetrerie became a place to display beautiful creations. Imagine the sparkling glass catching the Turin sunlight.
The Berruto glassworks tells a story of Turin’s industrial past. It shows the city’s embrace of craftsmanship. The late 1800s and early 1900s brought Art Deco and Liberty styles. Albano Macario a prestigious Italian glassworks was founded in Turin in 1899. The glassworks created glass for the salon of Terrazza Solferino a prime example of Turin’s Liberty style. Talented creators left Albano Macario. They opened their own workshops. Laboratorio Abrate and Laboratorio Janni were among them.
Now the story of Antiche Vetrerie takes a turn. The University of Turin stepped in. It began a project to revitalize the area. This included Palazzo Nuovo and the Rectorate of via Verdi 8. The Antiche Vetrerie became part of this renewal.
In 1997, AS architetti associati designed the restoration. They focused on preserving the industrial character. This meant keeping the vaulted spaces. They also saved the showroom with its murals and wooden shelves. The Antiche Vetrerie found new life as a library.
Look closely in the courtyard of Antiche Vetrerie. Did you notice the iron stylus on the wall? It is all that remains of a sundial. Time still casts shadows here but in a new light. The Antiche Vetrerie stands in the San Gerolamo block. It is bordered by via Verdi, via Giulia di Barolo, Piazza Vittorio, via Po and via Sant’Ottavio. It links the past to the present.
Today, the Antiche Vetrerie serves students. It provides a space for learning and reflection. The building’s transformation reflects Turin’s own. From industry to education the city adapts and evolves. Next time you are here take a moment. Think about the glassblowers and artists. They shaped beauty from fire. Now, students shape their futures within these walls of Antiche Vetrerie.