Two different locations inside the Museum

The museum of the lace is located inside the nineteenth-century De Castellotti - Pagnanelli building that, since 1998, has also housed the archaeological museum "G. Allevi", the museum of Popular Tradition and the Town’s Picture Gallery becoming, this way, a major cultural centre.

A stroll through history::

The first of many summer exhibitions of the Offida’s Lace/Lace of Offida was inaugurated in July 1950 with the “1st district show of handicrafts, industry and trade”.

First located in the Council Chamber of the town-hall, and later in an annex of the ex-convent of S. Agostino, the exhibition has become an important event to promote this special product of local handicraft so far.

Since the beginning, modern and ancient lace-works have been placed side by side, as to testify this precious art handed down over the centuries.

The lace-works have always been arranged in thematic order, including the different ways of manufacturing (see the Renaissance-stitch or the Venice/Venetian-stitch), as well as the lace and its vast trimming uses.

The ancient and modern lace-works have always been arranged in close relation between them, as to underline the continuity as well as the mutation of such an ancient and popular art, whose origin is lost in the mists of time.

The Lace-works:

The lace-works on display come either from the museum collection and from private collections. Private citizens give the best pieces of their collections on loan for a short or a long time; hence the exhibition can vary depending on the period and always presents new and interesting pieces on display.

The lace dress worn by Naomi Campbell at the "London Fashion Week" in September 1997

One of the Museum belongings is the high fashion dress, designed by fashion-stylist Antonio Berardi in 1997 for a fashion show in London, and worn by top model Naomi Campbell.

Layout and didactics:

Room 1:

History, documents, photographs.

Room 2:

The Lace and its different trimming uses. The dress worn by Naomi Campbell in London in September 1997.

Room 3:

A rebuilt model of the domestic small chapel of the Palace; the"Sacred" Lace-works.

Room 4:

A rebuilt model of the bedroom

Rooms 5,6,7:

The lace artefacts are arranged in thematic order, according to the different manufacturing techniques; publications on the Offida Lace; the manufacturing tools, yarns, patterns/schemes; samples, different types of stitches and ancient and modern artefacts (trousseaus, centrepieces, handkerchieves, linens, tablecloths).