Made in Portugal

As early as the 15th century, an oven was installed in Marinha Grande to help repair glassware from the Monastery of Batalha.

The glass was produced by incinerating natural products with sodium carbonate.

In 1748, due to a lack of firewood, the Irishman John Beare moved the factory he operated in Coina to Marinha Grande, thus benefiting from its proximity to the pine forests of Leiria.

The abundance of raw materials and fuel led to the growth of the glass-making industry in the region. In 1769, the Englishman Guilherme Stephens, carrying a permit from King John V and the full support of the Marquis of Pombal, purchased the factory and brought new life and prestige into the operation by applying the technique of glass blowing. This turned Marinha Grande into the Capital of Glass Making.

The first glass-making factory – the Royal Glass Factory of Marinha Grande – was created in 1769 by the Marquis of Pombal in support of Guilherme Stephens.