The shattered dream of silk: the city of Rovereto

Since the eighteenth century it has been called the 'Athens of Trentino', Rovereto is a tourist resort and a very famous cultural center. Its name seems to be linked to the 'oak' a type of oak that grows in these areas. It is located almost in the center of Vallagarina, which is the last stretch of mountain that the Adige river runs through before entering the Po Valley. The city in the years starting from 500 to 700 has known a great fame linked to its silk. Silk was produced with hydraulic spinning machines and this fabric was exported all over the world. The production process was very advanced with spinning machines as wide and tall as a five-story building full of spools working simultaneously. The silk market becomes the flagship of the city and enriches it, transforms it. The population doubles and is dedicated to beautifying the city with the elegant details still visible today. Unfortunately, the dream was shattered between 800 and 900, suffering the lack of innovation and investment in production, and also the importation of cheaper fabrics from abroad, as well as the birth of new manufacturing and agricultural realities.