[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Founded officially in 1875, Tessitura Luigi Bevilacqua is one of the most authentic examples of the Venetian textile tradition. However, its roots go back much further to the heart of the Venetian Renaissance when the lagoon city was the center of production for velvet and other luxury fabrics.<\/p>\n
The Bevilacqua family’s involvement in the textile industry dates back to the 15th century. Clear evidence of this can be seen in Giovanni Mansueti’s painting St. Mark Dragged to the Synagogue<\/em> (1499), where a man named “Giacomo Bevilacqua Weaver” appears among the patrons. This is not an isolated incident; archival documents from the Serenissima Republic report that several members of the Bevilacqua family were involved in textile trades over the centuries, including marzer<\/em> (cloth merchant), drapier<\/em>, cimador<\/em>, and dyer. This long tradition of craftsmanship provided the cultural and technical foundation on which Luigi Bevilacqua built his enterprise.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.luigi-bevilacqua.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Mansueti-Bevilacqua.jpg” title_text=”Mansueti Bevilacqua” show_in_lightbox=”on” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”450px” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.luigi-bevilacqua.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Giovanni-Mansueti-San-Marco-trascinato-nella-Sinagoga-1499-Liechtenstein-Museum-Vienna-part.jpg” title_text=”Giovanni-Mansueti,-San-Marco-trascinato-nella-Sinagoga,-1499,-Liechtenstein-Museum,-Vienna—part” show_in_lightbox=”on” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”450px” module_alignment=”center” animation_style=”zoom” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n In the mid-16th century, Venice had more than 1,200 weavers, more than double the number from the previous century. However, this flourishing activity began a slow decline with the arrival of Napoleonic reforms. In 1806, an imperial decree suppressed all craft guilds, including the renowned “Art of Silk.”<\/a> The end of craft schools and the discontinuation of the oral transmission of traditional techniques put Venetian craftsmanship into a serious crisis.<\/p>\n During the same period, French inventor Joseph Marie Jacquard introduced the Jacquard device<\/a>. Developed between 1804 and 1806, this mechanism made it possible to control the raising of warp threads using perforated cards, enabling the creation of complex textile designs. Initially installed on manual looms, the Jacquard device was later integrated into new mechanical looms powered by steam or electricity.<\/p>\n While this mechanization drastically accelerated production, it also resulted in the loss of many craft skills, particularly in velvet weaving. The decline of craftsmanship was not caused by the device itself, but by its use in industrial processes that prioritized speed over product quality and uniqueness.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.luigi-bevilacqua.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Produzione-di-tessuti-Jacquard.jpg” title_text=”Produzione di tessuti Jacquard | Tessitura Bevilacqua” show_in_lightbox=”on” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”800px” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n In the second half of the 19th century, the Arts and Crafts movement was born in England<\/a> in contrast to rampant industrialization. Based on the principles of reviving craftsmanship, functional beauty, and manual labor, the movement swiftly spread throughout Europe and the United States, rekindling interest in traditional decorative arts techniques, such as weaving.<\/p>\n In this cultural context, Luigi Bevilacqua and his business partner, Giovanni Battista Gianoglio<\/a>, established a new textile factory in Venice in 1875. They established it in a historic building on Fondamenta San Lorenzo<\/em> in the sestiere<\/em> (district) of Castello, which was once the site of a disused School of the Art of Silk. It was an emblematic gesture to pick up exactly where Venetian textile activity had stopped, reviving the 18th-century manual looms and breathing new life into a seemingly lost tradition.<\/p>\n Today, Tessitura Luigi Bevilacqua is the only company in Venice that produces hand-operated velvets using ancient manual Jacquard looms<\/a>. This is an activity that requires time, expertise, and absolute dedication. As Alberto Bevilacqua, the current CEO, says, “We are practically alone in Italy, so it is important for us to continue the tradition of our ancestors.”<\/p>\n Our story is told on an international level as well, as seen in the Great Big Story (CNN)<\/a> video, which highlights the cultural value and rarity of a textile tradition that has remained almost intact over the centuries. It is a testament to the fact that even today, the beauty of handmade products in Italy continues to speak a universal language.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/Epqf2fgiwAA” admin_label=”Video” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”] [\/et_pb_video][et_pb_text disabled_on=”off|off|off” admin_label=”Cover photo credit” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Learn the origins of Tessitura Bevilacqua, a family history with ancient roots in Venice, amidst fine fabrics and the bond with tradition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":64808,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" [et_pb_section fb_built=\"1\" admin_label=\"section\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_row admin_label=\"row\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" background_size=\"initial\" background_position=\"top_left\" background_repeat=\"repeat\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" custom_padding=\"|||\" global_colors_info=\"{}\" custom_padding__hover=\"|||\"][et_pb_text _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"]<\/p> Fondata ufficialmente nel 1875, la Tessitura Luigi Bevilacqua rappresenta una delle testimonianze pi\u00f9 autentiche della tradizione tessile veneziana. Tuttavia, le sue radici affondano ben pi\u00f9 indietro nel tempo, nel cuore del Rinascimento veneziano, quando la citt\u00e0 lagunare era il centro nevralgico della produzione di velluti e tessuti di lusso.<\/p> La presenza della famiglia Bevilacqua nel settore tessile \u00e8 attestata fin dal Quattrocento. Una chiara testimonianza si trova nel dipinto San Marco trascinato alla Sinagoga<\/em> (1499) di Giovanni Mansueti, dove tra i committenti appare un certo \"Giacomo Bevilacqua tessitore\". Non si tratta di un episodio isolato: documenti d'archivio della Serenissima riportano nel corso dei secoli diversi membri della famiglia Bevilacqua coinvolti in mestieri tessili, come marzer<\/em> (mercante di stoffe), drapier<\/em>, cimador<\/em> e tintore. Questa lunga tradizione artigianale ha fornito le fondamenta culturali e tecniche su cui Luigi Bevilacqua costru\u00ec la sua impresa.<\/p> [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_image src=\"https:\/\/www.luigi-bevilacqua.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Mansueti-Bevilacqua.jpg\" title_text=\"Mansueti Bevilacqua\" show_in_lightbox=\"on\" align=\"center\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" max_width=\"450px\" module_alignment=\"center\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_image src=\"https:\/\/www.luigi-bevilacqua.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Giovanni-Mansueti-San-Marco-trascinato-nella-Sinagoga-1499-Liechtenstein-Museum-Vienna-part.jpg\" title_text=\"Giovanni-Mansueti,-San-Marco-trascinato-nella-Sinagoga,-1499,-Liechtenstein-Museum,-Vienna---part\" show_in_lightbox=\"on\" align=\"center\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" max_width=\"450px\" module_alignment=\"center\" animation_style=\"zoom\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=\"row\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" background_size=\"initial\" background_position=\"top_left\" background_repeat=\"repeat\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" custom_padding=\"|||\" global_colors_info=\"{}\" custom_padding__hover=\"|||\"][et_pb_text _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"]<\/p> A met\u00e0 del Cinquecento, Venezia contava oltre 1.200 tessitori, pi\u00f9 del doppio rispetto al secolo precedente. Tuttavia, questa fiorente attivit\u00e0 inizi\u00f2 un lento declino con l'arrivo delle riforme napoleoniche. Nel 1806, un decreto imperiale soppresse tutte le corporazioni artigiane, comprese quelle della celebre \"Arte della Seta\"<\/a>. Con la fine delle scuole di mestiere e l'interruzione della trasmissione orale delle tecniche tradizionali, l'artigianato veneziano fu messo seriamente in crisi.<\/p> A ci\u00f2 si aggiunse, nello stesso periodo, l'introduzione del dispositivo Jacquard<\/a> da parte dell'inventore francese Joseph Marie Jacquard. Questo meccanismo, sviluppato tra il 1804 e il 1806, consentiva di comandare l'alzata dei fili di ordito tramite schede perforate, permettendo la creazione di disegni complessi nei tessuti. Il dispositivo Jacquard, inizialmente installato su telai manuali, fu successivamente integrato nei nuovi telai meccanici azionati a vapore o elettricit\u00e0.<\/p> Questa meccanizzazione acceler\u00f2 drasticamente la produzione, ma segn\u00f2 anche la perdita di molti saperi artigianali, soprattutto nella tessitura del velluto. Non fu il dispositivo in s\u00e9 a causare il declino dell'artigianato, ma il suo impiego all'interno di processi industriali che puntavano alla velocit\u00e0 piuttosto che alla qualit\u00e0 e all'unicit\u00e0 del prodotto.<\/p> [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_image src=\"https:\/\/www.luigi-bevilacqua.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Produzione-di-tessuti-Jacquard.jpg\" title_text=\"Produzione di tessuti Jacquard | Tessitura Bevilacqua\" show_in_lightbox=\"on\" align=\"center\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" max_width=\"800px\" module_alignment=\"center\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=\"row\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" background_size=\"initial\" background_position=\"top_left\" background_repeat=\"repeat\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" custom_padding=\"|||\" global_colors_info=\"{}\" custom_padding__hover=\"|||\"][et_pb_text _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"]<\/p> Nella seconda met\u00e0 dell'Ottocento, in controtendenza con l'industrializzazione dilagante, nasce in Inghilterra il movimento Arts and Crafts<\/em><\/a>. Fondato su principi di recupero dell'artigianato, della bellezza funzionale e del lavoro manuale, questo movimento si diffuse rapidamente nel resto d'Europa e negli Stati Uniti, risvegliando l'interesse per le tecniche tradizionali delle arti decorative, tra cui la tessitura.<\/p> In questo contesto culturale si colloca l'iniziativa di Luigi Bevilacqua e del suo socio Giovanni Battista Gianoglio<\/a>, che nel 1875 fondano una nuova manifattura tessile a Venezia. La sede viene stabilita in un edificio storico in Fondamenta San Lorenzo, nel sestiere di Castello, un tempo sede di una Scuola dell'Arte della Seta ormai in disuso. Un gesto emblematico: riprendere esattamente da dove l'attivit\u00e0 tessile veneziana si era interrotta, recuperando i telai manuali del Settecento e dando nuova vita a una tradizione che sembrava perduta.<\/p> Oggi, la Tessitura Luigi Bevilacqua \u00e8 l'unica realt\u00e0 rimasta a Venezia a produrre ancora velluti operati a mano su antichi telai Jacquard manuali<\/a>. Un'attivit\u00e0 che richiede tempo, competenza e dedizione assoluta. Come afferma Alberto Bevilacqua, attuale amministratore delegato, \u201cSiamo praticamente rimasti soli in Italia, quindi per noi \u00e8 importante continuare la tradizione dei nostri antenati\u201d.<\/p>The Crisis of the Art of Silk: A Heritage at Risk<\/h2>\n
Rebirth: Arts and Crafts and the Bevilacqua Manufactory<\/h2>\n
Continuity of Tradition<\/h2>\n
Cover Photo Credit: Katarina Rothfjell<\/pre>\n
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Le origini: una storia di famiglia nel cuore di Venezia<\/h2>
La crisi dell'Arte della Seta: un patrimonio a rischio<\/h2>
La rinascita: Arts and Crafts e la manifattura Bevilacqua<\/h2>
La continuit\u00e0 della tradizione<\/h2>