The 18th-century Royal Factory of Glass and Crystal of La Granja

The Royal Factory of Glass and Crystal of La Granja was established in 1727 by Philip V of Spain. That year, the Catalan artisan Ventura Sit installed a small oven funded by the crown to manufacture float glass for the windows and mirrors of the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso. Because there was an abundant supply of wood in the Sierra de Guadarrama, the factory could overcome the fuel issues that had caused a previous attempt at glass making in Nuevo Baztán to fail.

As European specialists with knowledge of the newest glass techniques joined the works, three glass factories were established based on their origins: Spanish, French, and German. The best glass of Venetian type produced in the works dates from the last quarter of the 18th century. Located 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Segovia on the CL-601 road, the factory saw its ovens turned off in 1808 during the Spanish War of Independence. Ferdinand VII resumed work in 1815, and Bartolome Sureda y Miserol became director in 1822.

The factory exported its wares to the Americas, which caused financial losses to the other countries who exported as well. Under the regency of Maria Cristina in 1833, the spaces were rented to individuals, but the Royal Treasury took over the facility by 1836 because it failed to financially support itself. Today, the Glass Technology Museum is located in the old factory building, which was designed in 1770 by Joseph Díaz Gamones.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons