The Museo del Tessuto in Prato is the largest Italian cultural centre dedicated to textile production and art, both historical and contemporary. The Prato region has been associated with textile production since the Middle Ages. At present it is one of the most important manufacturing areas on a global scale for fashion and textiles, boasting over 7,000 companies in this sector. The Museum contains the historical memory of textile production and plays an active role in cultural promotion. It conducts studies and research, and offers consultancy to companies that operate historical archives.
Founded in 1975 within the Tullio Buzzi Textile Institute, following the donation of about 600 textile fragments, since 2003 the Museum has moved to its permanent location, the former Campolmi Textile Mill. Nowadays its remarkable collections include historical, archaeological and contemporary textiles, embroidered pieces, extra-European textiles and garments, company samples, sketches and fashion illustrations, machinery, garments and accessories.