Textiles and Biscotti

PRATO, ITALY

Famous for it’s biscotti and textile industry, Prato is reachable by train from Florence, Lucca and Bologna

TEXTILES

Prato has a long history in textiles that started in the 12th century. In the 14th century wool makers united and were one of the first to set standards in fabric making.

Museo del Tessuto

This museum was founded in 1975 and celebrates the long history of textile industry in Prato as well as textiles from around the world.

RECYCLING

Prato is known for it’s carded materials. There is a movement of using recycling fibers to make new. In fact the Chamber of Commerce has created the “Cardato regenerated Co2 neutral” brand which promises zero-levels of CO2 produced during the regeneration process. Textiles can be a part of the green movement too.

INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT

Every six months: 2,000 new yarns,

60,000 new textile designs and

hundreds of new textile collections

Every year: 90,000 tons of yarn,

300 million meters of cloth,

110 million meters of technical textiles, and

12 million garments

General Value: 5,630 million euros.

BISCOTTI!

“Biscuit slices, of flour, sugar and egg white,” (Biscotti, as documented in 1691). Biscotti characterized by almonds came to a rise in the second half of the ninth century. As for Prato, Antonio Mattei developed a recipe that had instant success at the Universal Exhibition of Paris in 1867. Prato still has many shops that use the ‘original’ biscotti recipe.