Museo della moda e delle arti applicate

Located in 16th-century Casa Dornberg on Castle Hill, the Museum houses a large collection of textiles and applied art. Part of Gorizia’s Musei Provinciali (Provincial Museums), the Museum contains a small portrait gallery, documenting the change in the style of dressing and types of jewels worn by members of the bourgeoisie and aristocracy between the 18th and the 20th century, although the best represented period is 1890-1914. A display of original jewels and solid gold ex votos from the Church of Sant’Ignazio complements the collection.

The visits continues with a series of displays devoted to shoe-making, hat-making and other crafts connected with the world of fashion. They are alternated with sections dedicated to glass, ceramics and metalware, as an introduction to the development of decorative arts. There is also a special section on lace-making, traditionally practiced in Gorizia since 1672. The art of lace-making was originally brought to Gorizia by two Belgian nuns; this ancient Flemish tradition survived intact over the centuries, only partially influenced by Eastern European styles.

The Museum also includes a display of items of clothing worn at different times of the day and in special occasions. Middle and upper class life-styles demanded several changes of dress each day, with different accessories for every situation (the display includes a vast array of bags and gloves from the 1700s to 1925). Clothes followed Central European fashions and were imported from the European fashion capitals, Paris and Vienna, or bought locally. For this reason, in recognition of the importance of dress-making, one of the rooms in the Museum, normally housing temporary exhibitions, has been decorated as an atelier.

A section of the Museum is devoted to the industrial aspects of fashion. In particular, silk-making was a very important source of income in the Counties of Gorizia and Gradisca, particularly during the 18th century. One of the most interesting exhibits in the Museum is an 18th-century throwing machine, in perfect working condition, used for the production of silk threads. The collection also includes samples of original 18th-century textiles, produced locally, such as taffetas, gros de Tours, and damasks.