A city of enchantment, Venice is also besieged with problems. It is threatened by rising sea levels, polluted lagoons and a grim economy. And glassmaking, its most famous industry, has long been sinking along with the city. Murano, an island near the city centre, has been home to glass factories for 700 years. But a shift in taste from elaborate, heavy glass to inexpensive, contemporary designs that go in the dishwasher has hurt local artisans. More than a third have shut up shop in the past decade. At the bottom end of the market Chinese glass now does the job more cheaply.
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