T
he Venetian textile industry traces its
origins to the thirteenth century—
perhaps even earlier—when skilled
artisans began weaving silk, cotton,
and wool into exquisite cloth, often incorporat-
ing gold and silver threads in the process. The
pieces were used not only for garments and
ecclesiastical vestments but also for tapestries
and draperies—an especially welcome adorn-
ment to walls that were often cold and damp.
During the 1600s and 1700s, Venice was con-
sidered the center for European fashion, with a
plethora of fi rms making their mark in the trade.
The roots of one such enterprise, Bevilacqua,
go back to 1499, when a list of noblemen
who commissioned a painting by Italian art-
ist Giovanni Mansueti included the name
“Giacomo Bevilacqua, weaver.” In 1875, his71 Victoria October 2019