The conference will take place on Friday 26 April from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm at Sala Sottani of the Fortezza da Basso in Florence.

It will provide an opportunity to present different experiences in the reconstruction of ancient textiles intended for furnishings in historic residences and royal palaces, historical costumes, and liturgical vestments.

The focus will be on the methodological process adopted, including study and research, design, and the development of the looms required to “recreate” historical textiles with the same characteristics as the original objects being reconstructed.

In addition to producing textiles for art, haute couture, furnishings, and the liturgical sector, the Lisio Foundation is active in the field of restoration and historical textile reconstruction, especially for palaces, museums, and historic residences. For these projects, fabrics consistent with their historical appearance are studied and produced, and, where required, the original appearance of an artefact is reconstructed based on antique models and fragments.

Among the collaborations presented:

• a series of eleven so-called “Juvarrian” sofas (c. 1730–1735), preserved at the Museo Civico d'Arte Antica e Palazzo Madama;
• the reconstruction of the cut, patterned, laminated velvet for the King’s Bedroom at Wilanów Palace;
• over 400 metres of handwoven silk velvet and approximately 100 metres of two types of Drap d’or (gold cloth) for the state rooms of the royal apartment of Augustus II the Strong in Dresden;
• the reproduction of a Succo d’Erba for Château de Suscinio;
• the reproduction, based on the original design, of a damask textile for the installation of the Sala della Madonna di San Gerolamo at the Complesso Monumentale della Pilotta.