Date: 11 October 2013
On May 8th and 9th, representatives of the leading European glass industry trade press were joined by prominent figures in Vitrum and Gimav for a very special journey to discover two quite different faces of Made-in-Italy production: one based on manual labor, but with deep roots in the country’s thousand-year history and art; the other founded on technical and technological superiority.Visits to the Ars Murano glassworks and to Ferrari provided the perfect demonstration of this diversity, precisely because they are two entirely different cultural environments.The fiery heat of the glassworks, replete with years of work and palpable physical strain; and Ferrari, perfect, neat, almost sterile in its efficiency and organization.
The first stop on the tour was Venice, and specifically Murano, island symbol of craftsmanship par excellence, where an incandescent glob of glass comes to life and is skillfully crafted into a work of art. Members of the press had a unique opportunity to admire the creative ability of the glass masters at Ars Murano, one of the island’s prominent glassworks, known around the world for its quality workmanship and the ability of its artists at the furnace.
The second destination was the Ferrari factory at Maranello, temple of one of Italy’s most famous icons.
Here the guests were able to appreciate the Ferrari philosophy that breathes life into the company’s works: the highest degree of mechanical technology, product customization and an employee-friendly manufacturing system. The tour ended at the company museum, which offered a riveting finale: the history of Ferrari narrated through an exhibit of its most significant automobiles, up to and including the Formula-1 race cars richly rewarded with championship titles on race tracks around the world.
Of course, cutting edge technology will be central to the forthcoming Vitrum, the perfect showcase for the leading international glass industry manufacturers. As confirmed by Dino Fenzi, President of Vitrum, expectations are running high: “Again this year the trade fair will be an extensively international event, a meeting place where the industry’s top firms will have the opportunity to make profitable business contacts; this 18th edition of Vitrum is also well on its way to becoming (as it has always been in the past), an event that continues to grow, even in the most difficult times”.
An exhibition that promises to be filled with newsworthy innovations — like the impressive display of historic and recently-minted Alfa Romeo automobiles. Alfa is another fine example of Italy’s technological know-how and creative abilities that international visitors to Vitrum will be able to admire in a dedicated area of the show.
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