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Murano glass is named for the small island archipelago of Murano about 2 miles northeast of Venice. In the 13th century it was decreed that all Venetian glass makers move their glass furnaces to Murano due to the severe fire hazard of remaining amidst the wooden structures of Venice. Murano glass making actually finds its roots as far back as the murrine glass art from the Roman Empire and is documented in the Italian region near Venice as early as the 7th century. The relocation to Murano of the glass artisans, or "maestri" as they were known, had other uses as well. The Venetian Government wanted to isolate the maestri and guard against any leaks of Murano glass trade secrets to the rest of the world. Severe penalties were legislated for any who would divulge the secrets of Murano glass making. It is said that assassins were even employed to eliminate those who tried to escape. The concentration of these Murano glass artisans on a two square mile island also served to heighten their competitiveness and eventually stimulate the exchange of ideas. In the 1260's a trade association named simply the Arte was formed and a set of rules known as the Capitolares were developed and abided by for the next 500 years. The Murano glass industry thrived more or less until the late 1700's. Some of the trade secrets had found their way to the courts of other European kings such as Louis XIV of France. When Napoleon's armies conquered Venice in 1797, he eventually abolished the Murano glass Guild and removed many of its finest artists to other parts of Europe. Murano glass making remained in disarray and played second fiddle to the glass producing centers for Bohemian, Tiffany, and Lalique until near the end of the 19th century. In the 1860's, Vincenzo Zanetti founded the Glass Museum of Murano, which gradually reintroduced the old glass blowing techniques. In 1896, the Biennale, an annual convocation of international glass artists, was begun. This has continually invigorated the Murano glass industry with new ideas. The twentieth century saw the Murano glass industry successfully endure and survive two world wars. Three new artists, Paolo Venini, Vittorio Zecchin, and Giacomo Cappellin, were made famous beginning in the 1920's for their distinctive skills. Today, Murano glass continues its second Golden Age. While the techniques and artists continue to proliferate, the actual methods of glass blowing and production are much the same as a thousand years ago. Murano glass is still among the most highly prized of the world's fine glass producers.