Giuditta Brozzetti Museo-Laboratorio di Tessitura a Mano

An Artisanale Workshop in Perugia

In a graceful 14th century convent in the historical center of Perugia, you will find Giuditta Brozzetti.

Here Marta Cucchia welcomes visitors to her studio-museum dedicated to hand-woven artistic textiles.But it’s more than that, Marta’s great grandmother, Giuditta Brozzetti, founded the workshop in 1921 as part of a movement to not only protect the craft of weaving Umbrian textiles but to encourage and support women working on their looms in workshops and homes…

The revival of textile arts spread throughout Europe, including Italy, at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. Weaving, embroidery, and other needlework and handmade textile crafts had traditionally been produced by women and usually they worked in the home. However, with this revival came initiatives to assist women in attaining some degree of economic independence by receiving monies for completed work whether they worked in their home or in workshops.

Marta introduces us to how hand-woven textiles were made…

In 1931, dedicated to making “made faithful reproductions of Perugian tablecloths and of patterns copied from medieval and Renaissance frescoes, fabrics, and embroidery”,  Giuditta founded her workshop and employed 35 weavers and commissioned women working in the countryside and nearby town of Perugia.

Beautiful samples of these textiles, still hand-finished are on display…

Click on any photo for a virtual tour!

Manual and pedal looms were used for more domestic fabrics. Heddle looms adapted to Jack looms were used for more complex tablecloths as well as damask, clothing and decorative fabrics.

Jack looms allowed the production of much more complicated designs…

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The Jack loom, patented by I.C. Jacquard from Lyon at beginning of 19th century, introduced weaving utilizing an apparatus with perforated cards. These perforated cards facilitated the weaving of intricately figured and brocaded fabrics (often referred to jacquard weaving named after the inventor).

The Da Vinci thread winder for jacquard patterns…it takes 12 days to make 80 meters of thread!

Click on any photo for a virtual tour!

Elaborate and intricate patterns had to be transferred onto the cards and it It took three (3) months to make a new pattern. They have 200 patterns and no new patterns are created today.

Traditional, medieval and Renaissance patterns are produced using these perforated cards…

Among these 200 patterns are those characteristic of Perugia including the Fontana Maggiore, the Gryphon, and Tessuto Fiama (Flame Fabric).

These patterns, such as the blue on white Gryphon, are common motifs in the art and architecture of the region…

Giuditta Brozzetti Laboratorio became a museum in 2007. Almost a century after it was founded, they still use the same 18th century looms and the same weaving techniques using cotton, silk and linen thread.

Marta shows us samples of the Gryphon and of a weaving duplicating the pattern of the shawl in the Da Vinci Renaissance painting. The white on white linen jacquard is another beautiful example of the fine handiwork created here…

Conserving and perpetuating this artisan tradition is time and labor intensive (and expensive) but Marta has inherited the same dedication, commitment and passion that first inspired her to follow in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother.

Unlike Marta, today there are far fewer young people wanting or willing to dedicate the time it takes to learn this ancient craft and there is definitely a more limited demand for such beautifully hand made textiles.

Marta enthusiastically shares and preserves the Brozzetti legacy…along with her sweet pup, Teresa (who is blind but you’d never know it!)

Today Giuditta Brozzetti is part of a Textile and Embroidery Museum Itinerary in Umbria where Marta  enthusiastically shares its history and heritage with regular tours.

She also shares the challenges of sustaining artisan crafts in a day and age that wants fast and cheap but is undaunted in her commitment.

With Marta at the loom and a little something I brought home…

Marta’s enthusiasm and dedication are inspiring. Experiencing the workshop, learning its story and seeing such exquisite displays and beautiful handiwork firsthand was special and memorable.

We’re so grateful to have met her and to have learned more about her legacy and this lovely thread of tradition striving to thrive in Umbria.

You can visit the lovely website of Giuditta Brozzetti – just click here!

And if you have the good fortune to be in Perugia, Umbria, don’t miss the opportunity to visit Marta and Teresa!

I love visiting and meeting local artisans like Marta, don’t you? It really gives you a sense of a place and its roots.

It’s something that I always include in all of my experiences.

Although I don’t have another scheduled itinerary to Umbria, if you would love a customized itinerary to see this beautiful region, I can assist you with planning and execution!

Just send me an email and let’s get started!