Before joining Barovier&Toso, I had the privilege of leading Operations at Dolce & Gabbana Casa — an extraordinary
experience that deeply shaped my vision of what Italian craftsmanship means today. That journey taught me how heritage can live through constant reinvention — how tradition is not something static, but a living organism that grows, evolves, and dialogues with the present.
When I arrived at Barovier & Toso, I found a company with an unparalleled legacy, and my goal has been to project that legacy into the future — to preserve its soul while expanding its language to speak to contemporary culture.

Andrea, it’s an honor to be at this wonderful PALAZZO with you today. Before joining Barovier & Toso, you led operations at Dolce & Gabbana Casa — a brand synonymous with Italian elegance and creativity. How did that experience shape your vision, and how does it influence the way you now guide a historic house like Barovier & Toso?

Barovier & Toso’s story is the story of Murano itself. It began in 1295, when the Barovier family started working glass on this small island of the Venetian Lagoon. Over the centuries, generation after generation, the family handed down not only techniques but a way of thinking about beauty — a philosophy based on light, emotion, and timeless elegance. 

Barovier & Toso has been crafting glass for over 700 years and it’s known as the oldest glass factory in the world still in operation. Can you tell us the story of how this incredible legacy began and evolved into the company we know today?

When I enter Palazzo Barovier & Toso, I don’t see a showroom — I see a story told in light. To me, this space is the physical translation of Barovier & Toso’s identity: a bridge between centuries, where heritage and innovation coexist in dialogue. The palazzo is housed in a Venetian building from the 1920s, whose original façade has been
carefully preserved in the restoration. In the interior, the architectural interventions by Calvi Brambilla enhance the historical fabric while opening new vistas for emotion and surprise.

Walking through the doors, visitors immediately sense that this is a crafted experience — where every element (from flooring to materials, from scale to light) is orchestrated to magnify the presence of glass and shadow, silence and shine. The palazzo tells a narrative about transformation — how light sculpts space, and how the centuries of Murano glassmaking are alive in every reflection.

We’re here in the Palazzo Barovier & Toso — which feels more like a temple of light than a showroom.
Can you tell us what this space represents for you? What story does it tell visitors who walk through these doors?

Absolutely. The journey through Palazzo is conceived as a sequence of emotional stages, each with its own chromatic and atmospheric identity:

● On the ground floor, the atmosphere is intimate and contemplative. Deep tones and soft lighting create a calm threshold, preparing the visitor for the unfolding narrative. It’s a space where smaller works — table lamps, ambient fixtures — can be observed up close and felt in their presence.

● Ascending the golden staircase (a central element in the palazzo) one passes into a series of monochromatic rooms — white, black, gold, blue, red — each conceived as a defined mise-en-scène. In these rooms, individual collections become protagonists, interacting with the hue, texture, and light around
them. It’s a theatrical experience where the color of the room amplifies the emotional tone of each piece.

● One of my favorite corners is the double-height space at the heart of the palazzo, where light descends from above and the grand chandeliers — past and present — converse. In this volume, the Taif lamp (with its
76 lights) stands as a kind of spiritual center: it is majestic, yet poetic, a convergence of technical mastery and soul. Its presence is timeless because it is not just an object — it is a gesture of light that transforms the space.

● On the top floor, beneath the wooden beams of the roof, the architecture opens into lighter, more open rooms. Here the large-scale works are placed in more minimal settings, allowing them to breathe and interact with natural light. There is also a more convivial corner — almost a lounge area — where decorative glass pieces invite more intimate contemplation. In these quieter spaces, the dialogue between transparency and shadow feels most direct and intimate.

Each room here feels like a story in itself — from grand chandeliers to intimate lighting pieces that almost seem alive. Can you walk us through some of your favorite corners and tell us what they mean to you — and what makes them timeless?

Before joining Barovier&Toso, I had the privilege of leading Operations at Dolce & Gabbana Casa — an extraordinary
experience that deeply shaped my vision of what Italian craftsmanship means today. That journey taught me how heritage can live through constant reinvention — how tradition is not something static, but a living organism that grows, evolves, and dialogues with the present.

When I arrived at Barovier & Toso, I found a company with an unparalleled legacy, and my goal has been to project that legacy into the future — to preserve its soul while expanding its language to speak to contemporary culture.

Andrea, it’s an honor to be at this wonderful PALAZZO with you today. Before joining Barovier & Toso, you led operations at Dolce & Gabbana Casa — a brand synonymous with Italian elegance and creativity. How did that experience shape your vision, and how does it influence the way you now guide a historic house like Barovier & Toso?

Barovier & Toso’s story is the story of Murano itself. It began in 1295, when the Barovier family started working glass on this small island of the Venetian Lagoon. Over the centuries, generation after generation, the family handed down not only techniques but a way of thinking about beauty — a philosophy based on light, emotion, and timeless elegance. 

Barovier & Toso has been crafting glass for over 700 years and it’s known as the oldest glass factory in the world still in operation. Can you tell us the story of how this incredible legacy began and evolved into the company we know today?

"Today, after more than seven hundred years, Barovier & Toso remains the oldest glassworks in the world still operating — a symbol of continuity, creativity, and excellence that transcends time."

History of
Barovier & Toso

Each room here feels like a story in itself — from grand chandeliers to intimate lighting pieces that almost seem alive. Can you walk us through some of your favorite corners and tell us what they mean to you — and what makes them timeless?

Absolutely. The journey through Palazzo is conceived as a sequence of emotional stages, each with its own chromatic and atmospheric identity:

● On the ground floor, the atmosphere is intimate and contemplative. Deep tones and soft lighting create a calm threshold, preparing the visitor for the unfolding narrative. It’s a space where smaller works — table lamps, ambient fixtures — can be observed up close and felt in their presence.

● Ascending the golden staircase (a central element in the palazzo) one passes into a series of monochromatic rooms — white, black, gold, blue, red — each conceived as a defined mise-en-scène. In these rooms, individual collections become protagonists, interacting with the hue, texture, and light around them. It’s a theatrical experience where the color of the room amplifies the emotional tone of each piece.

● One of my favorite corners is the double-height space at the heart of the palazzo, where light descends from above and the grand chandeliers — past and present — converse. In this volume, the Taif lamp (with its 76 lights) stands as a kind of spiritual center: it is majestic, yet poetic, a convergence of technical mastery and soul. Its presence is timeless because it is not just an object — it is a gesture of light that transforms the space.

● On the top floor, beneath the wooden beams of the roof, the architecture opens into lighter, more open rooms. Here the large-scale works are placed in more minimal settings, allowing them to breathe and interact with natural light. There is also a more convivial corner — almost a lounge area — where decorative glass pieces invite more intimate contemplation. In these quieter spaces, the dialogue between transparency and shadow feels most direct and intimate.

     nside the luminous world of Palazzo                  Barovier & Toso, where centuries of Murano craftsmanship meet contemporary elegance, we sit down with Mr. Andrea Signoroni, CEO of one of the world’s most historic glassmaking houses. With a career shaped by Italian excellence — including his leadership role at Dolce & Gabbana Casa, a symbol of bold creativity and refined luxury — Andrea brings a modern vision to a legacy spanning more than 700 years. 

I

ABouT MR ANDREA SIGNORONI

History of Barovier & Toso

When I enter Palazzo Barovier & Toso, I don’t see a showroom — I see a story told in light. To me, this space is the physical translation of Barovier & Toso’s identity: a bridge between centuries, where heritage and innovation coexist in dialogue. The palazzo is housed in a Venetian building from the 1920s, whose original façade has been carefully preserved in the restoration. In the interior, the architectural interventions by Calvi Brambilla enhance the historical fabric while opening new vistas for emotion and surprise.

Walking through the doors, visitors immediately sense that this is a crafted experience — where every element (from flooring to materials, from scale to light) is orchestrated to magnify the presence of glass and shadow, silence and shine. The palazzo tells a narrative about transformation — how light sculpts space, and how the centuries of Murano glassmaking are alive in every reflection.

We’re here in the Palazzo Barovier & Toso — which feels more like a temple of light than a showroom.
Can you tell us what this space represents for you? What story does it tell visitors who walk through these doors?

ABouT MR ANDREA SIGNORONI

"Today, after more than seven hundred years, Barovier & Toso remains the oldest glassworks in the world still operating — a symbol of continuity, creativity, and excellence that transcends time."

History of Barovier & Toso

History of Barovier & Toso

History of Barovier & Toso

What makes these corners timeless, in my view, is their interplay — the way light, volume, material and emptiness balance one another. None of the spaces is static: they change with the time of day, with the light outside, with the viewer’s presence. The palazzo itself becomes a living canvas, and each piece of glass is never just exhibited — it participates, reflects, converses. That is the essential magic of this place.

What makes these corners timeless, in my view, is their interplay — the way light, volume, material and emptiness balance one another. None of the spaces is static: they change with the time of day, with the light outside, with the viewer’s presence. The palazzo itself becomes a living canvas, and each piece of glass is never just exhibited — it participates, reflects, converses. That is the essential magic of this place.

INTERVIEW WITH
MR. ANDREA SIGNORONI