{"id":13110,"date":"2024-11-07T05:40:21","date_gmt":"2024-11-07T10:40:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eyebuydirect.com\/blog\/?p=13110"},"modified":"2025-02-28T04:36:18","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T09:36:18","slug":"history-of-glasses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eyebuydirect.com\/blog\/history-of-glasses\/","title":{"rendered":"When Were Glasses Invented?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The History of Glasses: Overview<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Before eyeglasses were invented in the late 13th century, several other devices were used to help people see better. These early vision aids date back to ancient Rome, when philosopher Seneca the Younger used a glass filled with water to magnify words while he read.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the ninth century, Abbas Ibn Firnas made \u201creading stones\u201d by polishing and shaping glass into corrective lenses.<\/span>
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Why Were Glasses Invented?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Glasses<\/span><\/a> were invented to help people see more clearly. Monks and scholars were among the first people to wear spectacles because of the work they did reading and writing manuscripts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Based on sermon records, it\u2019s believed that glasses were invented in the 1280s. But the first artistic depiction of eyeglasses did not arrive until 1352, in a portrait of Cardinal Hugh of Provence by Tommaso da Modena. It\u2019s just one in a series of 40 frescoes that demonstrate the intellectual rigor required of Dominican scholars.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Who Invented Eyeglasses?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Eyeglasses were likely invented by an Italian monk in the late 13th century. But because he wanted to keep his idea secret, his name has been omitted from historical records. Instead, several accounts give credit to friar Alessandro della Spina of Pisa for copying and sharing the new technology with everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

Two other key figures may have played a role in the invention of eyeglasses:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n