SILK MUSEUM OF SONCINO (IT)

Located in Soncino (CR), Italy, near the Sforza Fortress, the Museo della Seta di Soncino (Silk Museum of Soncino) is housed within the former Filanda Meroni, a 19th-century industrial complex that ceased operations in 1961. The museum showcases the traditional art of silk production, documenting the entire process from silkworm breeding to the extraction of silk thread. Visitors can explore ancient tools and techniques used in this craft, following the journey from silkworm eggs to the final silk thread.
The museum was established thanks to the private collection of its curator, Enzo Corbani, who began gathering historical artifacts over 20 years ago and continues to expand the collection today.
Silkworm farming played a crucial role in shaping both the landscape and the way of life in this region. Since a single ounce of silkworm eggs (1 ounce = 30 grams of eggs, approximately 45,000 larvae) consumes around 900 kg of mulberry leaves from birth to adulthood, Soncino was once covered with extensive white mulberry plantations. Native to China, this species is the only suitable food source for high-quality silkworm rearing. The activity was primarily carried out by women, the elderly, and children, as men worked in the fields. It provided an important source of income for families while waiting for the harvest season.

The Soncino Silk Museum aims to preserve and keep alive the memory and history of this skilled craftsmanship—an invaluable heritage of expertise, excellence, and traditional practices that should not be forgotten.
The exhibition begins in the courtyard, where visitors can still see the original water decantation tanks. It continues inside, where a vast collection of historical tools and machinery illustrates the transformation of silkworm cocoons into silk thread. The experience is further enriched by a selection of documentary films on sericulture, including a 1942 video showcasing a silk mill that produced parachutes used in World War II.

Visitors can also explore the medieval water and drainage system beneath the building, which once supplied the filanda with the water necessary for silk processing.

A rare highlight of the museum is a dedicated room showcasing silkworm egg production institutes, the specialized businesses that supplied high-quality silkworm eggs for breeding. The museum also boasts an extensive collection of vintage posters and more than 400 historical postcards related to the silk industry.
The Soncino Silk Museum is open on the second and third Sunday of each month, from 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM.
(In August, visits are by appointment only.)
For more information: +39 0374 83188 Email: museosetasoncino@gmail.com