Exhibitions

The MUmat, Museum of the wool industry is in a room of the factory Meucci, based on an old mill, built by Franco Meucci at the time of Napoleonic domination. At the beginning of'900 Amerigo Meucci founded in the same place, one of the first carbonization zone, which also joined a “stracciatura”. The transformation of old textile mills in business practice was fairly common in the territory of Prato.

Between 1923 and 1930 was the expansion of the factory along the river side. Following in the industry in 1988, the property was purchased and completely restored by the Municipal Vernio thanks to European funding. The building was intended to center for holding cultural events and recreational activities, exhibitions and conventions.

From 6 December 2008 you can visit inside the MUmat Museum of Textile Machinery.

The MUmat is a great little museum that tells the history of textiles, and the whole production process that led from rags to finished fabric, the element that has characterized the last century in Prato.

The exhibition includes instruments ranging from the end of '800 to 50s of the twentieth century: Fiandre (1), a small “Carda” (2), the old “Turbina” factory fueled by the Bisenzio still active up to a rare sample frame of “Telaio a mano”, restored (3).

Filanda (1)

Carda (2)

Antico telaio a mano (3)

Each piece is explained above with captions in Italian and English, while a large panel tells the story of this ancient plant.

To improve the usability and understanding of each car on display was built a raised platform that allows the visitor to have a privileged position and a view from above.

Other important equipment that you can see are the “Leviathan” (4), the press, the cutter, the “stracciatrice” the background and the carbonization and steam. It can be seen that the structure of ancient mechanism is set up for the use of water.

Leviathan (4)

On the wall, and a stained glass window, we see an old turbine, still in motion, due to water entering the river and through a gora ends in an underground chamber where it drives a “Turbina” (5) with a movement is visible in the museum.

Turbina ancora funzionante (5)

You can also still watch a “Carda”, where we see the wool at the entrance and exit, through the Plexiglas containers (6), and finally a manual “Montacarichi” (7).

Carda (6)

Montacarichi manuale (7)

EXHIBITIONS