Glasses, the ingenious invention that revolutionized vision correction, have a fascinating history intertwined with Italy, particularly wtih the city of Venice. While their exact origin is subject to debate, it is widely believed that the precursor to modern eyeglasses was likely invented in  La Serenissima around 1285-1289.

Although historical evidence is scarce, a Venetian document from 1284 called the Chapter, or the Status of the Art of Cristalleri, provides the earliest known description of glasses: it specified that roidi da ogli (glasses for eyes) should be made of pure crystal rather than just glass. Similarly, the earliest known depiction of spectacles is also connected to Veneto and the old Repubblica di Venezia, as it is found in a 1352 fresco by Tommaso da Modena in Treviso.