A Glimpse Inside a Florentine Silk-Weaving Workshop

In a quiet corner of the bohemian district of San Frediano, hidden behind an 18th-century iron gate that opens onto a whimsical wisteria-covered alleyway, lies a Florentine cultural treasure: the Antico Setificio Fiorentino, or Antique Florentine Silk Mill, which has been producing precious textiles since 1786.

To enter through the atelier’s large, worn timber door is to slip back through time and revisit the enchantment and beauty of a more opulent era.

Inside, 18th- and 19th-century timber and iron looms, some towering over 16 feet tall, clatter furiously in rhythm with tens of thousands of luminous silk threads, weaving warp and weft yarns into sumptuous fabrics, guided by the skilled hands of a select team of expert artisans.

Since moving to Italy in 2003, I’ve grown increasingly fascinated with the country’s highly talented artisans, their intriguing workshops and the quality of their products, particularly in the Tuscan capital of Florence.

When I first visited the Antico Setificio Fiorentino in 2018 for a private event, I was captivated by the giant ancient looms and the exquisite fabrics they produced. Their histories, I learned, were entwined with Renaissance society.