Panicale's annual lace and embroidery festival

The 4th annual Fili in Trama lace and embroidery festival is on this week-end in Panicale. This is the third we have seen and it includes lace makers from other countries in Europe as well as throughout Italy. There are many ways to make lace but the beginnings of this festival were based on the old local style called Ars Panicalensis.  In this method the patterns are embroidered onto tulle to create the lace.

The fountain in the piazza is decorated and scattered around the village are decorated chairs. One year they had decorated bikes.

One of the most interesting lace making methods is the tombolo, where a pattern is pinned to the tombolo ( pillow ) and with the aid of pins and spindles, the person twists and knots an intricate pattern in fine thread.

Below; on the right is the pattern to be followed and on the left the finished article.

Lace and embroidery is displayed in many ways; table linen, household decorations, clothing, jewellery, art works, wedding dresses and more. It is not often possible to photograph them but here are a few examples.

The Anita Belleschi Grifoni Museo del Tulle - Museum of Lace has an amazing display of Ars Panicalensis lace work and is housed in a 1600s church with fresco remains but today it had additional attractions.

A display of historic costumes recreated by Stefania Menghini from Foligno for historic parades and operas and theatre work gave us a close up look at the intricate and detailed work involved in making such costumes.

A very pleasing display of naïve art on the theme 'Panicale and lace' was a fine addition to the festival.