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OUR HISTORY
A STORY TOLD AT YOUR TABLE
The Real Fábrica de Cristales de La Granja, born during and nurtured by the new Bourbon dynasty, is one of the most important royal manufacturers of 18th century Spain. Framed within the Bourbon Reforms, its aim is to reduce the importation of objects from overseas, encouraging the growth of the national industry supplying palaces and royal residences with sumptuous objects that emulate the luxury of the palaces of the Royal Courts of Europe. In this prestigious manufacturer, the most relevant and ambitious technological and artistic advances in all of Enlightened Europe could be found. Hydraulic machines, controlled by large rotating wheels, allowed the movement of polishing and rasping looms to grind glass mirrors, machines that streamlined the finishes of the pieces, adjusting caps, removing punties or making threads; that is to say, truly cutting-edge technology worthy of the most advanced glass-producing countries of the time. Today you can enjoy all of this legacy in your own home through the online shop of the Real Fábrica de Cristal de La Granja.
When you decorate your home with a glass piece from the Real Fábrica de La Granja, you are bringing to life more than two centuries of historic, artistic, and cultural heritage.
ARTISAN TRADITION
EXPERIENCE
All of the pieces are made in the workshops of the Real Fábrica de Cristales de La Granja, scrupulously maintaining the same manufacturing processes and techniques used in the 18th century, that is, following artisan tradition with a blowpipe and moulds.
Thanks to the skills of the master glassblowers, the present-day artisan techniques remain true to the traditioanl production methods of the Real Fábrica de Cristales de La Granja.
The excellent quality of La Granja glass and the skill of the artisans makes it one of the most appreciated and internationally renowned types of glass.
EXCELLENCE
The master first extracts a glob of molten glass (at about 1,100 ºC) from the crucible with the blowpipe, and then blows through it, creating a small bubble of glass. The bubble is introduced into the mould, adapting itself to its shape to make the bowl or body of the pìece. Once the bowl or body is formed, the punty is applied to the opposite end of the blowpipe, which is then removed from the piece to allow the mouth to be shaped or handles to be added. Once the process has finished, the next step is to “recook”' the glass, that is, cool it very slowly in an annealing oven. When the cooling process is complete, the glass is ready to be decorated.
The Real Fábrica de Cristales de La Granja has been making its pieces with lead glass (crystal) using the traditional blowpipe technique since the 18th century. The current production of the Real Fábrica de Cristales stays true to this tradition, both in the quality of its glass and the models it reproduces.
PASSION
The conservation of this treasure throughout our history has only been possible thanks to the romantic spirit of the most recent master glassblowers, great artisans who live to keep alive the techniques passed down through generations.
A way of life that persists in a unique trade, whose products preserve the quality that ancient kings demanded for their homes, and, thanks to this, allow you to enjoy the same quality today in your own home.