Hat makers, Biella Province, Piemonte

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The Hat making cooperative (Cappellificio Co-operativo) in Cervo, close to Biella, in Piemonte or Piedmont in north-west Italy still practises one of the most highly prized crafts of the Cervo Valley. Situated on the Wool Road (Strada della Lana ) this is one of the last of the traditional Italian felt hat makers in the Cervo river valley where a series mills and factories once served a thriving woollen and textile industry. Many are now derelict as cloth production has shifted to the...
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The Hat making cooperative (Cappellificio Co-operativo) in Cervo, close to Biella, in Piemonte or Piedmont in north-west Italy still practises one of the most highly prized crafts of the Cervo Valley. Situated on the Wool Road (Strada della Lana ) this is one of the last of the traditional Italian felt hat makers in the Cervo river valley where a series mills and factories once served a thriving woollen and textile industry. Many are now derelict as cloth production has shifted to the far-east. This particular company was established in 1897 in the form of a craft cooperative and during the 1920s had as many as 200 workers with a daily output of 800 hats. The few remaining workers who preserve the requisite skills are in the latter years of their working life, so this tradition is unlikely to be passed on to future generations. The Dickensian atmosphere that hangs around the ancient machinery and tools, the dim light bulbs suspended from ancient wires, the steam and the tired faces do not bode well for the long term future of what many fedora aficionados regards as the world's finest felt hat.
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