Sample text from Autumn in Piemonte ~ Cashmere Heaven.
The Piacenza family have been fabric makers since 1733 and when Carlo Piacenza invited us to tour the plant and then on to lunch with him at his house just above Pollone, I couldn’t resist. Although the focus of my trip was food, I would not miss the chance to see cashmere in the making -- it is, after all, one of the most famous products of Piemonte.
About one hour’s drive north-east of Torino situated in the foothills that rise rapidly to peak of Monte Rosa behind, is the city of Biella. For hundreds of years Biella has been a world centre for wool processing -- not the growing of wool, because this is not sheep country -- but its manufacture into the fine fabrics that have made Italian fashion a world leader. Biella started as a wool- manufacturing centre because of the abundant of clean water coursing down from the hills and mountains above.
The mills needed this water first to power their plants, and then to wash and process the raw wool. Many of the processing companies around Biella are not household names but some -- like Zegna and Loro Piana -- are brands known worldwide...
