The oldest preserved data about lace from Gorizia date back to the second half of the 17th century and are closely connected with the Ursuline convent, established in 1672 by nuns who had come from Vienna and Liege. Within the convent there was also a school, open for girls from the area and there they were also making lace and embroideries. The history of Gorizia lace closely intertwines with Idrija lace.

In the 18th century lace-making spread from the convent among the town and the countryside population in the area. Women and men made lace, especially in times when there was less work around the house and in the fields. There is almost no information available about this domestic crafts, but the Ursulines' products were preserved. Their value was higher, by technique and material used, and they were made for the ecclesiastical lords and the nobility. The products were not only meant for local trading, as there are documents proving that lace from Gorizia was sold to Vienna and Graz. Many nuns mentioned as excellent lace-makers in these old documents were of noble origin.

Emperor's decrees from the 18th century which protected the domestic production from imported goods granted an even stronger position for the lace-making crafts in the region of Gorizia and in the neighbouring Carniola. The contemporary fashion of the time contributed strongly too, as there was lots of lace used for decorating not only women's dresses with trimmings, corsets, bonnet cords, but also men's and church clothing. Lace was also used in bed linen and altar cloths.

In the 19th century Ursulines would also teach lace-making. End of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century brought an ever growing interest in useful art and thus lace on the international level. Therefore the decorative motifs were developed and adjusted to the contemporary art trends and lace-making courses were established in many villages and towns. After WWII a state lace school was established in Gorizia and it still functions throughout the whole province. The school is involved in important events, competitions and thus keeps the tradition of lace-making in the region of Gorizia alive.

Rafaella Sgubin
Thessy Schoenholzer Nichols
summary: Mateja Bizjak



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Provincial museums in Gorizia - their headquarters in Borgo Castello (Castle Village)