Merletto a tombolo

My Hilltop Town Italy

Italians still greatly value the work of artisans, skilled craftsmen and women making all sorts of things by hand – hats, shoes, window-shutters, wrought-iron railings, umbrellas, tools, clothes, handbags, glass demijohns, furniture, gelato and lace –  items lovingly made and cared for, kept and handed down. ( Well, ok, maybe not the gelato!)

By the mid 1500′s bobbin lace-making was well-known in Venice  It soon became sought-after throughout Europe. Because of the many hours of labour required to produce lace, it was worn as a sign of wealth and prosperity by the upper and also the middle classes.

In the 17-19^th centuries there was a huge demand for lace, and to meet that demand many women became lace-makers. Bobbin lace has always been a cottage industry, allowing woman to earn their own money and create their own dowries.

In Le Marche women in small towns are still making beautiful…

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