Silk Museum Abegg

The Abegg silk museum is housed in a 17th century silk mill built by the lakeside in Garlate and surrounded by a mulberry grove. It shows discoveries, inventions and machines for silk production, from worm breeding to fabric. It was realized and opened by the Abeggs, swiss manufacturers, in 1953, in order to hand down to experts and researchers the instruments created for silk industry during the centuries, an activity that had, and still has, great importance both in the eastern and western worlds. The Abeggs gave their museum to Garlate municipality in 1976. It hosts a rich collection of machineries and its visitors can follow the main production steps: worm breeding, cocoon unwnding and silk twisting. There is also a weaving room. The way through the museum ends at a spot concerning the future: new research, use of silk in biomedical and cosmetic fields, production of new yarns. The museum includes interactive workshops and several teaching activities held by experts. Address: Via Statale, 490 Tel. +39 331 9960890