Knowledge, skills and sensitivity

Liguria has an extraordinary cultural and productive heritage that is still largely entrusted to female intelligence and hands. Knowledge, skill and sensitivity in the production of textiles, goldsmithing and ceramics, which have their roots in the Middle Ages and have been consolidated over time up to the present day. In Lorsica, in the Genoa hinterland, the production of damask dates back to the 16th century, a monochrome fabric without reverse side whose designs can be read on both sides.

To the east, in the coastal village of Zoagli, in the Tigullio area between Rapallo and Chiavari, velvet is still made that kings and queens, nobles and rich merchants wore in the golden century of the 17th century, immortalised by Van Dick, whose paintings can be found in the Strada Nuova museums in Genoa and in some of the most beautiful churches in Liguria, as well as in the main museums all over the world.

Not only velvets and brocades, but also the more practical and resistant denim cloth (a term derived from Genoa) for sailors and port workers. Also in the Levante area of Genoa, a particular type of lace called macramé was produced using the hand-knotting technique, which embellished towels and clothes and which can be admired in Rapallo in the Lace and Fabric Museum at Villa Tigullio-Parco Casale. In short, it was Ligurian women, with their skills and craftsmanship, who created European fashion for two centuries of European history.

In the western part of the country, they were the protagonists in the goldsmith's art, producing delightful filigree objects thanks to their ability to weave very fine silver and gold threads that still make the village of Campo Ligure in the Genoa hinterland famous today. But the feminine imprint can also be found in the majolica of Albissola and in the decoration of ceramics and still today in the art workshops and laboratories of the historic centre of Genoa and the villages of Liguria.