The Silk Museum Trifecta

Attending a tapestry weaving workshop in Edinburgh recently sunk me deeply back into my love of textile arts. This trip has predominantly been about history, architecture, food, and culture. I have found a few yarn and haberdashery shops along the way, but haven’t been able to indulge in cloth arts much. Even though I did bring something to stitch with me, long days of being the tourist, adapting to living in a different culture, blogging, and working evenings til 10:00 or 11:00 pm zapped me of extra time and energy.

If I think back on the trip thus far, the one textile place that pops up in my mind was Valencia’s Silk Museum. I realize we haven’t posted an article on this yet so it seems like a good time to circle back on it. I titled this article “trifecta” for a reason. One definition of ‘trifecta’ is a bet in which someone chooses three winners.  We won big when purchasing a ticket to the Silk Museum. We opted for their combination ticket that also included entrance to Santos Juanes and San Nicolas Churches.  I found this a curious combination but then again, silk and textiles are my kind of church so perhaps there is a connection between all three of them after all.  Geographically, they sort of line up with short walks in between. 

Silk Museum

I described us visiting the Silk Exchange, La Lonja de la Seda, in a previous post.  The Silk Museum is very different. While the Silk Exchange is a formidable building, there wasn’t a lot of interpretive displays or information. In a way, it didn’t need it as the marvel is the architecture. The Silk Museum filled in those gaps, providing a rich interpretation of the silk industry in Valencia.

Beginnings

After Muslims invaded and conquered the Iberian peninsula in the early eighth century. Silk worm cultivation and silk production was introduced and flourished during their occupation which ended in 1492. An entire neighborhood called Velluters was established in Valencia for those working in the industry. The name comes from the Italian word ‘velluto’ which means velvet. The neighborhood is inside the old walled part of the city.

Initially, Valencia did more to supply raw materials to Toledo which was an early center for silk production, though there were those producing silk cloth. For a time, those making silk fabric worked somewhat independently and the quality varied considerably.   For this reason, an effort arose to regulate silk weavers and set standards for silk production so that it would benefit the industry as a whole. This was the Silkmakers Guild founded in 1479. The real boost came in 1686 when King Charles II elevated what was known as the High Art of Silk Guild to the status of Colegio del Arte Mayor de la Seda, translated to College of High Silk Art. This was in recognition of the high academic training that was being undertaken. Beyond other mechanical trades, it recognized the need for arithmetic and artistic and painting skills.

The College headquartered in the Baroque building that Trev and I were standing in, purposely located in the Velluters neighborhood where workers and production were found. At one time in 1767, it is documented there were about five thousand looms and industry jobs employing half the population of Valencia.

Ground Level Exhibits

It is pretty fantastic that the museum lives in this building at the epicenter of it all. They do a good job sharing the story. We were greeted immediately and given these devices that provide you an audio tour. She programmed it for English and all you do is punch a button when ready for the next station and hold it near your ear – so no headphones, personal phones, or downloads needed.

They direct you first to the ground level which you step down to. I suppose this was more a storage room or some other low level purpose as it has no windows. It is dimly lit which is understandable so that all the sample clothing, fabrics and fibers are protected as much as they can be from degradation. As a result, the photos aren’t the best. Anyway, the exhibit takes you through how silk production arrived, how it is produced from silk worms, how it is reeled, dyed, etc. I was in heaven.

One wall has examples of wood stamps and rollers that were used to transfer pattern and color to silk fabric. They remind me of the tjaps for batik production I’ve seen. Gorgeous patterns. The rollers were a leap in technology. They also highlight intricate floral designs on paper that were transferred onto cloth and dye painted. The exhibit also highlights key individuals that pushed the perfection of the silk work in Valencia forward.

In particular, they tell the story of Joaquin Manuel Fos. He set out to discover the secret of weaving a moire pattern being used elsewhere in Europe. He went as far as faking his own death and masquerading as others in Europe to learn the innovations and bring them back to Spain where he rose up the ranks of society. There is also a story that in 1784 he controversially, and perhaps maniacally, had samples of silk cloth set ablaze in public because he felt they fell below the guild standards. This is where I feel the exhibit excels, actually. In my opinion, by humanizing this vast industry and sharing colorful stories, it becomes easier to connect to.

Upstairs Exhibits

Upstairs, you enter a reception space next to the old chapel. The latter has green and white tile and frescoes on the walls and ceiling. It also has a cutout on one wall to expose a marvelous spiral staircase that was discovered in modern times (I forget when) that was sealed up inside the walls. Exhibits in both rooms were about textiles woven along the silk road and examples of traditional dress. If there can be a real star up here, it is the

From the reception room you enter what they call the Hall of Fame. It is dominated by an impressive tile floor that includes a lot of symbolism I loved reading about. Won’t bore you (more) with that. This is where the most important heads of the institution would meet. Exiting the room on the back left, you find a room dedicated to the so-called minor silk arts. A loom is set up to show trim weaving and there are displays of hats, fringe, trim, braids and insignia. This is a thorough exhibit. It is also possible to go into the Historic Archive, which by all accounts is the most important historical archive about silk in Europe.

And Still More – Next Door Exhibits

Before we left, we were enticed to go through a courtyard to a workshop where they said we could see a weaving demonstration. Sadly, it was something videotaped and on a TV monitor loop. Nevertheless, it was worth seeing this space because of the fabulous old equipment that was there. Trev suddenly appreciates the diminutive size of my floor loom after seeing the enormous drawloom. On the side was a component for Jacquard weaving, which, for those of you that don’t know, is early computer technology. Zoom in on the photo below right for a view to essentially punchcards.

The way out is, of course, through a gift shop where I didn’t buy a thing! Minimal luggage equates to very few souvenirs. On to the others.

Real Parroquia de los Santos Juanes

This church was undergoing restoration. The entrance was quite impressive and I did take one photo inside. We thought we took others, but apparently not. That is a shame because seeing the massive scaffolding assembled inside the space, enabling restorers up against the ceiling was amazing. You could also see them up there, tediously working away.

We were also given the same handheld “speaker sticks” for an audio tour. Interestingly, the story they tell is from the perspective of the church. Yeah, at first it is weird. But the voice, an older British man (because that is the English choice) talks in first person about the restoration happening to him and relays stories such as when it was burned during the revolution and almost torn down. There was also the story of how a mortar was found in or near the roseate window years later from that same revolution.

What was evident to me was that the Catholic religion and their churches have an entirely different language of terminology. Frequently in the audio tour, you would be directed to look at this or that and I’d have no idea what they were talking about. It was fine though and I did get comfortable with the word “nave”. Part of the experience.

San Nicolas de Bari

It is funny what I can remember as I look at the photos. If you’ve stuck with this post to this point, you are probably tired out from reading it all. I’ll admit, I’m about out of words. I’ll offer just a bit on the third part of the trifecta and then let the gallery of images speak for themselves.

Known as the Valencian Sistine Chapel, it is a wonder. I’ve never been to the original in Italy, but it seems the one in Valencia lives up to this moniker.  Built in 1242, yeah – astonishing, as a parish church it was remodeled into the Gothic style in the mid 1400’s. This saw the construction of the vaulted ceiling. It was all recently restored, as in completed and open to the public in 2016.

The Baroque decoration and fresco paintings were added between 1690 and 1693, detailing the life of San Nicolás de Bari (Saint Nicholas) and San Pedro Mártir (Saint Peter Martyr). What was very cool to hear is that, just as at Santo Juanes, people still come for mass regularly. Particularly with San Nicolas, hundreds of people walk from their homes, wherever they are, to the church as an act of devotion.

The last thing to strike me, as we left, was looking back at the humble entrance on the street. Many of the churches here have grand, elaborate doors and entrances on major plazas. Not this one. It is tucked into a block of the old city. A woman, begging at the entrance, said nothing but did hold up a cup into which Trev placed some Euros.

The flow of these three sites was right. A lot of energy about the city’s industry and contributions to the high art of silk making, but then ending in a sumptuous and stunning place to be sure, that was also very respectful and quiet, showing the importance in the best way of churches and religion. Another great day.