Milan preview tour of The Italian Glass Weeks

The first Italian Glass Weeks experience took place in Milan on May 25 within the city’s most emblematic and prestigious places – which will set the stage for the glass supply chain during the event’s Milanese week, scheduled from September 10 to 18.

Historically-rich venues for a landmark event
The tour kicked off from the 39th floor of Palazzo Lombardia, itself an example of glass’ architectural potential when applied to buildings – and all further evidenced by the skyline vista it commands.

Confirming the importance of Italian Glass Weeks, Regional Environment and Climate Councillor for Lombardy Cattaneo said in welcome, “Our region’s glass production chain guarantees its work in Lombardy. The potential of glass is legion, beginning from the fact that it’s a clean and highly recyclable material, which is perfectly in line with Lombardy’s high recycling standards. Indeed, even the glass vials in which the anti-Covid vaccines were contained can be recycled,” – which further highlights this event as being an opportunity to show the supply chain’s great capacity to build innovative solutions.

Underscoring the event’s cultural dimension, Lombardy Regional Councillor for Autonomy and Culture Stefano Bruno Galli jointly welcomed the delegation with Councillor Raffaele Cattaneo, “I’m delighted you identified Palazzo Lombardia as your place to recount the excellence of glass. The choice to launch such an event here, which combines Lombard’s culture of work with Venetian artistic inventiveness, can only invigorate its cultural appeal.”

Celebrating a history of both business and artistic excellence
The tour continued to Castello Sforzesco, which houses a permanent collection of artists who’ve elected glass as their chosen medium for communicating their emotions. Periodically the venue organizes such competitions for young people as the “MilanoVetro-35” exhibition, which will be open until June 19.

As the main seat of Milanese business since 1654 and just a few steps away from the Duomo, Palazzo Giureconsulti came as the last stop of this evocative afternoon. Here, after visiting the halls, organizers were able to brief participants on the opportunities offered by the two upcoming events celebrating the International Year of Glass – scheduled to be held in Milan and Venice respectively.

Italian Glass Weeks is set to facilitate a raising of public awareness on the strengths of glass: that transparent material which exists as something conspicuous in our daily lives, albeit ‘unseen’ – precisely why we may sometimes miss its sustainability, flexibility and indefinite re-usability.

Potentially, as well, the event will further strengthen the positioning of the Italian glass supply chain at international level – a concept also expressed by ICE Agenzia Director of the Industrial Technology, Energy and Environment Antonio Lucarelli, who said, “We support Italian Glass Weeks for its communicative power especially, which will inform the general public on the glass supply chain beyond what’s already commonly known – and all together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as it supports sector-specific trade shows at which glass processing machinery is typically shown.

“I think the finished product -whether artistic or industrial- can be just the thing to generate interest among young people while also drawing them closer to the world of industry and machinery – perhaps by also offering a glimpse into fresh professional pathways to explore.”