Il Filatoio di Caraglio – Il Museo del Setificio Piemontese

The Spinning mill of Caraglio, built in 1676, represents a jewel of inestimable architectural value and a rare example of industrial archaeology. The building cleverly blends the production needs with the residential needs of the owners, the Counts Galleani of Canelli and Barbaresco: its characteristic turreted appearance in fact responded to a dual soul, that of a fortified factory and that of a noble residence.

It is the oldest silk manufacturing complex in Europe capable of integrating the entire production cycle: from treaty (the extraction of slime from cocoons) to the twisting. This all-Piedmontese technological innovation ensured absolute control over the quality of the’organzino, the precious yarn that sustained the economy of the Duchy between the 17th and 19th centuries, destined almost entirely for the prestigious Lyon weaving mills.

Today, the Spinning Mill is one of the few surviving “Magnificent Factories” in lower Piedmont. Owned by the municipality and managed by a private foundation, has been a lively cultural centre since 2002, hosting over 60 major exhibitions. Inside, the Piedmontese Silk Factory Museum offers a unique route, where the spectacular reproductions of the hydraulic twisting machines stand out, fundamental testimony to the technical ingenuity of the past.