Timeline
1900
Three buisness associates, Guadagni, Nati and Vespignani founded the “La Filanda” in Marradi(Italy).
1908
The construction works finally finished of La Filanda. The constructions took so long because Gaspare Guadagni one of the three founders wanted solid foundations because Marradi was an area who was vulnerable to earthquakes, so the foundations needed to be laid against the rocks which were found 12 metres in depth. A lot of mulberry trees were planted around la Filanda, because the silkmoths reproduced on these mulberry trees. In order for the Filanda to work, it needed a lot of hot water, therefore, there were enormous wood-fired ovens and a huge chimney close to 45 metres tall. The stoker Andrea Nati lived with his wife Matilde and his daughter Rosella in a 2 story building which was transformed into the current garage. Andrea Nati always kept the ovens on to heat the water to guarantee the production of silk.
1910 – 1944
La Filanda began the production of silk until La Filanda had been destroyed.
1920
The construction of main house adjoining la Filanda finished. Nowadays, the house is still standing and home of the Baschetti family.
1927 – 1944
There were one hundred and fifty five employes who worked in la Filanda, including twenty-six under the age of fifteen. Their time table looked like this: from eight to twelve and then from one-thirty to five thirty for everyone.
1944
During the second world war, la Filanda was bombed by the allies and the part of the production was completely destroyed. The chimney was blown up with dynamite and the main house was partially uncovered due to the air displacement from the bombing. The main cause was that the silk that was produced at la Filanda was used to make parachutes from the Italian air force, therefore it was a military target.
1948
The main house was renovated in its integrity.
1952
The old Filanda was converted into wool factory and was shut down after fifteen years of operation. It was then leased to the fire department of the village.
1966 – 1980
After the fire department, it was converted into a printing shop: Officini Grafiche di Marradi, where scientific books and advertising materials were printed.
1981 –
La Filanda is currently the main warehouse and office of the “Proloco” Marradese, the town’s touristic board.
Silk Productions in Italy – 1900s
Silk production and cultivations in Italy started during the eleventh century C.E. At the time, silkworms were only cultivated using indigenous black mulberry. For the upcoming centuries manufacture in Italy manufactured luxury silk fabrics using imported foreign silk threads. However, this changed in the 15th century, the practice of using and cultivating non-native white mulberry trees came from China and had now landed in Italy. Thanks to this the leaves had better quality and therefore facilitated the production of italian silk threads for luxury products.
During the 1900s Italy was the second biggest exporter of silk threads in the world. Suddenly, a devastating epidemic hit silkworms and ruined production, this happened from 1845 to 1880. Nevertheless, Italian experts went to East and inner Asia to buy enormous quantities of healthy silkworm eggs to keep their production going. Eventually, Japanese silkworms became and were seen as the best choice and were transported from Japan to Italy for around 20 years. This also made the ties stronger between Italy and Japan and they were closer than ever.
Afterwards, between the 1950s and the 1970s, Veneto and Friulie became the two major Italian silk producers, sadly, during the sixties, for now more than 50 years, Italy hasn’t produced 100% silk because of labour cost being relatively lower in other countries for example, China.
How is silk produced?
1. Sericulture
Sericulture is the term used to describe the process of gathering silkworms and harvesting them, especially the cocoon to collect materials. Female silk moths can lay approximately from 300 to 500 eggs. These eggs then hatch to form silkworms, silkworms are then incubated in a very controlled and restricted environment until they hatch into caterpillars.
Afterwards, the silkworms are fed continually a big amount of mulberry leaves to encourage their growth. This takes around 6 weeks for the silkworm to grow until their full potential. Around this period, the silkworms will stop eating and that’s when they’re ready to spin their cocoon. Then, when it is attached to a secure frame preferably a tree, the silkworm can begin spinning its silk cocoon by rotating its whole body in a figure of 8 movement. This process takes around 300 000 thousand spins and takes up to 3 to 8 days.
2.Thread extraction
After the silkworms have finally spun their cocoon, they will enclose themselves inside it and then it is time to extract the silk threads. One single silkworm produces a single strand of silk, approximately 100 metres long, this is held together by a natural gum, sericin. The cocoons are placed into boiling hot water to soften and help dissolve the sericin, which holds the cocoon together. This is one of the most crucial steps during the production process, as this ensures no damages to the thread of silk.
Each thread is reeled extremely carefully from its cocoon, in individual long and soft threads. Some sericin could remain on the threads to protect its soft fibre during processing, but then is washed out with soap and boiling water.
3. Dyeing
When the silk threads have been successfully washed and degummed, they will be bleached and dried before the dyeing process starts.
Traditional dyeing techniques used dyes from natural resources such as plants or fruits. The threads will be soaked together in big bundles, inside a pot of hot leaves and water. This small process is repeated many days in a row to ensure a proper colour.
However, this technique evolved and changed and has become extinct in the silk production world. Manufacturers preferably use various dyes, most famously acid dyes or reactive dyes. Both of these dyes give a bigger range of colours and shades, which then could serve wider demand.
The general idea behind this new technique remains very similar. The silk is soaked in a bath of dye to get the colour.
In some cases, this is the last or one of the last steps of this process as many manufacturers generally prefer piece dyeing to help reduce useless waste. By holding plain white stock ready to be dyed, it incredibly reduces the need to hold too much stock in very specific colours that have not been ordered and then will never be used.
4. Spinning
The very traditional spinning wheel will always be a part of the silk producing process. Although this machine has been rather well upgraded over the years, the wheel updated the industrialisation process and is able to spin silk thread much faster, but still mimics the function of the classic spinning wheel.
This step is very easy, it consists of spinning and unwinding the dyed fibres onto a bobbin, which has a variety of sizes. Then, the silk is laid flat ready for the next step which is weaving.
5. Weaving
Weaving is the process where the end product comes together. Silk can be woven in many different ways, for example, satin weave or plain weave, there is also the open weave which is the most common. The finishing of the silk is dependent on which type of weave was used.
Weaving involves the interlacing of two sets of threads, this makes them lock around each other and create a strong and resistant piece of fabric. The thread will be woven at right angles to each other, two different angles may be called a warp and a weft. A wrap will run up and down the fabric but a weft runs across the threads.
6. Printing
This is a very new step and it is used if the silk should have a precise pattern or design. There are two types of printing: Digital Printing or Screen Printing.
Digital printing and silk uses a specific design textile printer, it uses ink to transfer hand drawn or digitally produced artwork onto the fabrics.
Screen Printing is the most traditional and oldest process. It is more of a hands-on method but essentially creates the same effect as Digital Printing, in some cases however a more vibrant, bolder look may be applied to the fabric.
7. Finishing
This is the final step, silks must be finished. Finishing a piece of silk gives it a highly lustrous sheen. Silk finishing can be done in many various ways, but is mainly applying different chemical treatments which add a host of valuable properties including most commonly fire resistance and crease-proofing.