Discover Centuries-old Florentine Singing Silks

“When you listen to these looms playing, it’s like listening to a wonderful orchestra.”
—Filippo Ricci

When the world’s finest establishments, such as Villa Medici in Rome, the Royal Palace of Denmark, or the Royal Castle of Sweden, need restoration and special fabrics to decorate their regal interiors, they call one of the last remaining artisanal workshops for silk art in the world—Antico Setificio Fiorentino.

For anyone setting foot inside the workshop, a rhythmic clap and whirl gently ease the senses. “When you listen to these looms playing, it’s like listening to a wonderful orchestra,” says Filippo Ricci, creative director of Stefano Ricci, the fashion house that acquired the historical Florentine atelier in 2010. Even “the silk sings,” according to Ricci.