Remember the iconic orange coat worn by Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”? For decades the woolen cloth was produced in the Casentino factory, based in Bibbiena (Arezzo). But now the curtain falls on a history spanning over a century (its foundation dates back to 1906). As announced last October 23, the Tuscan company found itself forced to proceed with liquidation and fire its remaining staff, mainly due to unsustainable energy costs. Surviving with turnover at historic lows now seems practically impossible and the path of a possible sale has not materialised.
The bitter news was communicated through a letter sent to the press and the institutions.
“In the absence of concrete actions to save the production site, we had to put the company into liquidation and fire all the staff. We are aware that this puts local companies that use Panno Casentino in difficulty, but after months of crisis, of which everyone was informed, we had no other choice” explain Roberto Malossi and Andrea Fastoni, directors and partners of the factory.
The company launches an appeal, still hoping for a different ending:
“We still have time to save the Cloth, at least until we dismantle the historic machinery, in about thirty days. Then it will be over forever. This cannot go unnoticed: the Cloth deserves at least a nice obituary on the front page. After centuries, a grand finale that we will all remember and for which we will have to feel responsible, all of you included.”
A fabric that has made history and Made in Italy elegance
The Casentino factory has produced for decades the characteristic woolen cloth with the curly surface, known as Casentino and used for the Givenchy coat worn by the unforgettable Audrey Hepburn.
That rough and warm cloth born in the valleys of the Tuscan Apennines has become a symbol of “Made in Italy” craftsmanship and style, recognized throughout the world and appreciated by many figures from the world of entertainment and politics. But the tradition of wool processing in the Casentino has its roots in very distant times, with evidence already in Etruscan and Roman times. In the fourteenth century, the inhabitants of the castle of Palagio Fiorentino (in Stia) paid taxes to the Republic of Florence not in money, but with cloths made of orbace wool – a rough and resistant wool – woven for the monks of the Camaldoli Hermitage. The clothes of the friars of La Verna were also born from that same wool, simple and sober.
The Stia wool mill, already known for the quality of its fabrics, began producing riding capes around 1890, designed to protect draft animals from the cold and rain. It was precisely in this phase that, due to a lucky mistake, the famous orange color of Casentino cloth was born: the use of Rocca alum, combined with chemical dyes that were not perfectly calibrated, generated a bright red tending towards orange, warm and lively.
The new color drove the Florentine ladies crazy, so much so that the Stia wool mill added the new, unmistakable orange-reddish shade alongside the classic traditional green. Subsequently, Casentino cloth became a fashionable fabric, chosen and appreciated by illustrious figures such as Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini. A few weeks ago the Bassetti textile factory in Lombardy closed its doors after two centuries of activity. With the closure of the Casentino factory, Italy loses another piece of its history, while fast fashion gains ground.
