A Great Passion for Silk

摘要

On a recent visit to Tuscany I met Stefania Maffei, who has started a marvellous sericulture experiment in her home near the beautiful walled city of Lucca. Both Stefania and her husband Steffano had grandmothers who reared silkworms for the Lucca silk industry in the decades before its final demise during World War Two. Many farmers around Lucca did this as a second source of income and brought their silkworms to the silk market in Lucca in June to sell. Quality control was all important; the mill-owners would pick only the best quality produce. Inspired by this family history, Stefania and Steffano have set out to re-discover a local heritage that is now all but lost.