Pedal loom

Wooden looms dating from the 17th and 18th centuries are still in use today in the museum workshop. Our oldest pedal loom was built in 1700 and is currently used to produce a tradition rustic cloth favoured by Umbrian peasantry and also accurate copies of fabrics which feature in paintings by many artists including Pinturicchio, Signorelli and il Sodoma. This ancient technique has existed among the poor folk of Umbria for centuries. It was a basic necessity and used both to make homemade bedlinens and for all sorts of other domestic uses including clothes.

These fabrics use designs that can be found in rural areas all over Europe and Italy in both ancient and modern homespun cloths. Local tradition has it that the motifs date back to cloth produced in the Etruscan era (this would appear to be confirmed as they are found in paintings on Etruscan funeral urns and ceramics), they are also used on the Tovaglie Perugine (Perugian tablecloths) an emblematic product from the Medieval golden age of artisanal Perugian textiles.