Nero was one of the first used a colored stone to protect his eyes from sunlight as he watched the gladiators in combat in the Colosseum. Venetian opticians, 120 years before the rest of the world discovered the danger of ultra-violet rays, used to produced emerald green color glass, to create sunglasses that totally stopped these rays. During the 18th century in Venice, the nobility and Commanders da Mar (of the sea) wore sunglasses to protect their eyes from the glare of reflected light while navigating the waters of the lagoon or the open sea.

For the first time in history of eyeglasses, the exhibition 'Spectacles Fit for a Doge' gathers together spectacles from museums and private collections to trace a part of the history of eyeglasses and sunglasses. From 'bow' spectacles (without temples), to the first temple spectacles, more stable on the nose, the exhibition will guide you to colored optical illusion eyeglasses created just for entertainment called 'Vetri da avari' (glasses for misers), passing through 'Vetri da gondola' or 'da dama' (for ladies) which were used by Venetian noblewomen when they rode in a gondola. The Museo dell'Occhiale in Pieve di Cadore (Belluno), Museo Correr, and the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, in collaboration with the Stazione Sperimentale del Vetro in Murano, have all contributed to this scientific project, which not only focuses on rare and fascinating objects, but also the importance of safeguarding and protecting the eyes. Except for the optical toys, all the artifacts on display in this exhibition were made during the eighteenth century to protect the eyes of Venetians in gondolas or galleys from harm caused by sun, air and water-all potential irritants. All surviving Goldoni-type eyeglasses (of which about thirty exist worldwide) also show a common characteristic: they have a series of small holes on the frame through which thread was inserted in order to attach lateral sun-guards made of silk. Venetian producers favored green lenses, and the analyses we carried out in cataloging the artifacts for this exhibition have revealed an incredible discovery.