Altare Glass Fest

Altare, the village of glass

In the hinterland of Savona, along the road that crosses the Apennines towards Piedmont, the small village of Altare (Province of Savona) preserves one of the oldest and most prestigious artisan traditions in Liguria: the art of glassmaking. For centuries, Altare's master glassmakers have been blowing and shaping glass, and the Altare Glass Fest celebrates this heritage with an international festival, which in 2026 will reach its fourteenth edition.

Live demonstrations in front of the furnaces

The heart of the event is the live demonstrations by Italian and international master glassmakers, who work incandescent glass in front of the public in the furnaces. It is an experience that allows one to understand the mastery and difficulty of an art made of precise gestures, heat, and breath, where each object is born from the breath and hands of the artisan. The activities take place between the Museum of Altarese Glass Art and the historic Villa Rosa, home of the museum.

A heritage to preserve

Altare is, along with Murano, one of the two great historical centres of Italian glass production. The festival is organised by the Institute for the Study of Glass and Glass Art, which manages the museum and protects its heritage. Visiting the Altare Glass Fest means immersing yourself in a little-known but extraordinary chapter of Ligurian artisan history, in the heart of the Savona hinterland.