Vidrios de Arte Gordiola

In 1719, Blas Rigal, a young glass-maker from Aragon, requested permission from Palma City Council to set up a glass furnace, which was to be financed by a Catalano-Aragonese merchant called Gabriel Gordiola. In 1740 complications developed, and Gordiola took over the furnace, asking his son Bernardo to come from Barcelona to manage the business. When Blas Rigal died, the property was inherited by the Gordiola family.

In 1973, the glassworks was transferred to Calle de la Portella de Palma in Algaida, and more specifically to the road from Palma to Manacor. The building is a reproduction of the castle of King James III of Majorca and houses the workshop with the furnaces, a large area for the displaying and sale of glass products and, on the upper floor, the Glass Museum, opened in 1977 and containing a large collection of glass artefacts dating from pre-historic times to the present day. The company also has a sales outlet in Victòria in Palma Street.

One of the most distinguished members of the family in the recent history of the glassworks was Daniel Aldeguer Gordiola, an extremely hard-working man who travelled all over the world for his interest in different glass-making techniques. He opened a glassworks in Tehran together with traditional glaziers from the Venetian island of Murano.

Today the business still belongs to the Aldeguer family, the children of Daniel Aldeguer Gordiola, who represent the eleventh generation of the dynasty. The company still produces items of blown glass in the traditional manner. Its specialities are traditional Majorcan bell jars, chandeliers, non-drip oil bottles and all kinds of tableware, such as plates, goblets, glasses, bottles and jars and many other glass artefacts.

In July 2021 the technique of glass-blowing was recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The company has been visited by many famous personalities, including Queen Sofia of Spain, Michelle Obama and Princess Grace of Monaco.