Discover the origin of the glasses!

Today we take it for granted that glasses are an instrument that we can easily dispose of, there are all types, sizes, shapes, colors... for all tastes and needs.

But, have we stopped to think at what moment something that is now so basic and common began to form part of history? Well, it wasn't until the 13th century when this invention began to be developed, which since then has changed the lives of an important part of humanity. Before this, vision problems were seen as an irremediable defect and those who were most affected were intellectuals dedicated to both reading and writing tasks.

Centuries of research and development have been needed to arrive at modern glasses as we know them today .
It was the scholar Alhacén, considered the ''father of optics'', who in the 11th century thoroughly studied the anatomy of the eye to later write a treatise on lenses, establishing the theoretical bases on which it was later developed the invention of glasses.
It was in the 13th century when these ideas materialized after having translated the ''Book of Optics'' into Latin and then the so-called ''reading stones'' appeared as a precedent for glasses , used as a magnifying glass. Although these stones helped people with their daily vision, they were still a long way from being what we know today as glasses.


It is in Italy, specifically on the island of Murano, known for its famous glass factories where the first glasses are created, using the union of two frosted convex lenses, which were mounted on a wooden circle and joined by an axis to be placed on the nose, although the problem of how to fasten them to the head still remained to be solved. But we can say that it is at this time that one of the most important inventions of the last 2000 years comes to light.
At first its use became general among older people, and it was not until the 15th century, with the invention of the printing press when they began to be mass-produced, since reading books became something within everyone's reach.


Another great event in the history of glasses it took place in the 18th century, when Benjamin Franklin created bifocal lenses, and lenses with temples appeared, managing to keep them attached with a wire behind the ears. It was thanks to this, and the industrial revolution, that they began to be mass-produced, making them relatively cheaper. Thus, and to this day, new types of lenses and frames have continued to be developed, for all tastes and needs, becoming an irreplaceable element of our daily lives.

See you soon readers!