Perugia Through the Ages Students Tour Stained Glass Factory
From inside the windows of an historic palazzo in the center of Perugia, one can see the Church of San Domenico towering above other buildings in the distance. Umbra students learned yesterday that the stained glass windows which adorn the church were made from inside the buildin
g they were touring – the Studio Moretti Caselli.
The studio has been producing stained glass works since 1864 when Francesco Moretti founded the operation with the help of his nephew, Ludovico Caselli. To this day, members of the Moretti and Caselli families continue to produce glassworks with the same techniques the previous generations used to decorate San Domenico and many other churches. The Studio Moretti Caselli fame is not limited to Perugia or the region of Umbria, however, but extends worldwide (including a large stained glass reproduction of The Last Supper in a California cemetary). Learn more about the history and work of Studio Moretti Caselli at their website: www.studiomoretticaselli.it.
The students present to tour the historic palazzo and glass workshops were there as members of the Perugia Through the Ages course. This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to studying the art and history of Perugia from its Etruscan origins to the modern era. The course utilizes on-site learning opportunities, such 
as this tour of the glass studio, to enhance the academic material. Perugia Through the Ages was offered for the first time in Fall 2005 and has quickly become one of the Umbra Institute’s most popular couses.
In photos: Professor Paola Chiurulla and students examine documents within the Studio Moretti Caselli; scraps of glasswork from past projects decorate the museum and studio.