Museo del Tessile
Museum in the former convent of Santa Chiara in Chieri: looms, spinning frames, sample books and tools that tell the long history of Chieri's textile industry.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museo del Tessile di Chieri is housed in the former Convento di Santa Chiara, formerly the Levi factory, where the first core of the collection of objects linked to the city's textile activity is kept. The museum was founded on the initiative of Armando Brunetti, a textile entrepreneur, and is managed by the Fondazione Chierese per il Tessile and the Museo del Tessile itself, which also holds a historic archive of sample books and designs from Chieri's firms.
The route presents predominantly manual work closely tied to agriculture: tools for growing woad, for dyeing cloth blue, for silkworm rearing, for spinning and weaving cotton, linen and silk, and for bleaching cotton. Drawn from private collections and donations from entrepreneurs, the displays include spinning frames, vertical and horizontal warping frames, hand looms, sample books and measuring instruments. There are numerous two-shaft and four-shaft looms, with reed combs and shuttles; parts of a Jacquard loom, introduced to Chieri in the first half of the 19th century, are also preserved. The oldest looms date from the 16th century.
Highlights
- Hand looms, spinning frames and warping frames from the 16th century
- Tools for growing woad and dyeing cloth blue
- Parts of a Jacquard loom, introduced to Chieri in the 19th century
- Sample books and documents of Chieri's textile industry
- Housed in the former Convento di Santa Chiara, formerly the Levi factory
Permanent exhibition
- Storia dell'industria tessile chierese – Hand looms, spinning frames, warping frames, sample books and tools for dyeing and working cotton, linen and silk.
- Operated by
- Fondazione Chierese per il Tessile e per il Museo del Tessile
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €6 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €4 |
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Museum shop
The museum has a bookshop.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Educational activities are offered; the museum also includes a historic archive of sample books. |
