St Mark's Square hosts Murano Illumina il Mondo until 1 November
Published on 10/18/2026 at 03:24 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
St Mark's Square (Venice's Piazza San Marco) is hosting Murano Illumina il Mondo from 13 September to 1 November 2026, bringing twelve glass light installations beneath the Procuratie Vecchie in Venice, Italy. The public exhibition forms part of The Venice Glass Week 2026 and remains open during the final weeks of October.
The installation places Murano glass directly within the arcades surrounding one of Venice's principal public spaces. Visitors from Western Europe will find a temporary open-air exhibition rather than a change to the square's regular attractions.
Murano Illumina il Mondo runs until 1 November
The City of Venice lists the exhibition from 13 September to 1 November 2026 at the Procuratie Vecchie. Its official description says that artists and designers worked with Murano glassworks to create new light installations, combining contemporary design with the architecture of the square.
The twelve works interpret the chandelier, a recurring object in Venetian glassmaking. The named contributors include Norman Foster with Salviati, Amanda Levete with Yalos Murano, Cerith Wyn Evans with Caterina Tognon Arte Contemporanea, Bethan Laura Wood with Gambaro and Tagliapietra, and Pierre Charpin with Simone Cenedese. The official exhibition programme places the project within the tenth edition of The Venice Glass Week.
Guided visits continue during the exhibition period. The City of Venice schedules sessions on 20 and 27 October 2026, while further visits organised with the Abate Zanetti Institute and the G. Parini secondary school are listed for 22 and 29 October 2026. The municipal programme states that the city-led visits are available in Italian and English.
Glass installations meet the restored historic paving
The setting matters to the exhibition because the Procuratie Vecchie form the northern arcade of St Mark's Square. The square is part of Venice and its Lagoon, the UNESCO World Heritage property that includes the city's major monuments and historic urban fabric.
The exhibition follows the technical completion of a major paving project. A municipal restoration report says the work covered 4,934 square metres of the square and its smaller adjoining area. The intervention repaired stone paving affected by exceptional tides in 2019, including the trachyte blocks, Istrian stone bands and underlying layers.
This creates a direct link between the current glass display and the place beneath it: the installations are shown under the Procuratie Vecchie while the restored surface again carries visitors across the historic space. The municipal account also records archaeological documentation during the works, including older paving levels near the Procuratie Vecchie.
What the October programme adds for visitors
The exhibition is not limited to the main festival week. Its end date of 1 November 2026 keeps the installation available after The Venice Glass Week's central September programme, giving October visitors a separate glass-focused stop in the historic centre.
The works are presented as a group of twelve chandeliers rather than as a single installation. Their position beneath the arcades allows the glass objects to be read alongside the long covered frontage of the Procuratie Vecchie and the patterned stone surface of the square.
Visiting St Mark's Square: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The exhibition runs from 13 September to 1 November 2026 at the Procuratie Vecchie beneath the arcades of St Mark's Square.
- Guided visits are listed for 20, 22, 27 and 29 October 2026, with Italian and English available for the city-led sessions.
- The venue is in Venice's historic centre, and the meeting point for guided visits is along the Procuratie Vecchie arcade on the Caffè Lavena side.
- The square has a stone-paved surface and covered arcades. The installation is presented outdoors within the historic public space.
- The official language is Italian and the national currency is the euro.
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Frequently asked questions about St Mark's Square
When does Murano Illumina il Mondo take place at St Mark's Square?
The exhibition runs from 13 September to 1 November 2026 beneath the Procuratie Vecchie in Venice.
What can visitors see at St Mark's Square?
Visitors can see twelve glass light installations made by artists and designers working with Murano glass companies.
Where is St Mark's Square and how do you get there?
It is in the historic centre of Venice, beside the Procuratie Vecchie and the city's principal monuments.
