2023 Tuesday Nov. 7

Senigallia and Fabriano

Cloudy but no rain is forecast. The plan is to head into the mountains of the Marche region near where Francesca used to live. The town of Fabriano is famous for paper making. We visited the museum, Museo della Carta e della Filigrana.

Originally animal skins were used as pages on which to write. However, in about 1200, two Genoese businessmen discovered the process for making paper and took it to Italy. Fabriano became famous throughout Europe as they safeguarded the secret.

The process first began with old clothes. They were torn into shreds that were pounded into pulp by this machine.

The pulp is collected on wire screen pages. It took 6-7 years to learn to collect the pulp into even pages.

The pages are pressed and dried between absorbent materials.

By 1300 there were 30 buildings in Fabriano to make paper. Competition led paper-makers to distinguish themselves, so watermarks were developed by adding wire to the paper frames. The first watermark was in 1280; over time they became elaborate works of art.

By 1756, a Frenchman invented a machine to mechanize the process by making long sheets of paper.

Today the fastest machine can make 80 kilometers of paper per hour.

Today’s Fabriano paper logo—still famous in the world. In 2013, UNESCO designated Fabriano a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art.

The Pinoteca Civica showcased art of the Middle Ages.

Back to Senigallia for the evening—Francesca and Matteo’s apartment.

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