Museo del Tessuto

The existence in Prato of the Museo del Tessuto is closely linked to the city’s textile tradition, which dates back to the twelfth century and developed in particular around the art of wool. The museum was created in 1975 within the Istituto Tecnico Industriale Tessile “Tullio Buzzi” following a donation of around 600 ancient textile fragments. This donation enriched the material already present, which had been assembled over time by the school’s teachers to be used as study material for the students. Other associations – such as the Associazione Ex Allievi dell’Istituto Buzzi – and local institutions – including the Municipality of Prato, Cariprato, and the Unione Industriale Pratese – have contributed over the years to increasing the collections. After a brief period in the Palazzo Comunale, in 2003 the Museo del Tessuto was transferred to its permanent home in the restored spaces of the former Campolmi factory. The American collection consists of three textile fragments from the Andean regions of pre-Columbian origin. They were acquired at different times between 1976 and 2006 as a result of donations by private individuals and former students of the school.