Carnevale... confetti.....costumes....vintage textiles....it must be Venice!
I was fortunate enough to be there last week on the last day of Carnavale. I rode the vaporetto to S. Angelo to visit the showrooms of Rubelli.
Rubelli is located in the 15thc Palazzo Corner Spinelli and houses some of the most historically important textiles from the 15thc forward.
Over 100 years old, Rubelli draws its inspiration from things around them...lace from Burano, frescoed walls and ornamental ceilings.
Tea Time
Rubelli works with silks, cottons, linens and wools to produce fresh interpretations of old themes along with faithful reproductions of jacquards and damasks associated with Venice.
Casablanca
Handed down for five generations, ancient techniques are still used to produce the detailed designs that continue to be referenced by other major textile companies.
Mitridate
Striving for authentic textiles , in 2004 Rubelli reassembled hand looms from the 18th and 19th centuries to produce sopraizzi,-the labor intensive hand made velvet. In
1928, they provided the sporaizzi woven with pure gold for the carriages of the royal train.
Mitridate
In 2003, Rubelli was instrumental in the restoration of La Fenice after the 1996 fire. Their fabrics have also been used in La Scala in Milan and the Doges Palace in Venice.
Their historic archives house over 6000 textile records. Select pieces are rotated for viewing by their clients.
The archives are housed in a lavish 15th c room facing the grand canal where the gilded doors and ceiling catch the reflections of the water in the canal.
Isabella Campagnol , curator of the museum, was gracious enough to show me many pieces of the collection including some of the liturgical work. The museum is an unmatched source for reconstruction of ancient textiles worldwide.
Rubelli is synonymous with the beauty of Venice. They have remained dedicated to continuing a tradition that can only be described as a pure art form. I will never forget my visit and the hospitality of the staff.
Special thanks to Albarosa Simonetti who first introduced me to Rubelli .
link here.
