The Museum of Paper and Watermark
In a green valley of the Apennines of the Marche, Fabriano has been one of the most important centres of paper production in Europe since the thirteenth century, and its name is still famous all over the world for its high-quality drawing papers and banknote papers. The paper makers of Fabriano introduced revolutionary innovations that transformed the production of paper, which had arrived from the Arab world: the hydraulic hammers, driven by water mills, which shredded the rags used as raw material; sizing with animal gelatine, which made the paper more resistant and suitable for writing with a pen; and above all the watermark, the "filigrana", a design visible against the light, created by a wire sewn onto the mould, which was used as a trademark by the workshops and which is still used today, for example, in banknotes.
The Museo della Carta e della Filigrana, housed in the former Dominican convent of San Domenico, tells this history, with a reconstructed medieval paper mill in which master paper makers demonstrate the production of a sheet of paper by hand, from the pulp of rags to drying, and visitors can try making a sheet themselves. The museum also preserves an extraordinary collection of watermarks, including "chiaroscuro" watermarks, true works of art with portraits and images. In 2013 Fabriano became part of the UNESCO Creative Cities network for crafts and folk art. The town, with its elegant Piazza del Comune, the Fontana Sturinalto and the Palazzo del Podestà, is also the birthplace of the great Gothic painter Gentile da Fabriano.
Tip: don't miss the paper-making demonstration in the museum; combine Fabriano with the Frasassi Caves, a short drive away.
Where it is
More things to see in Marche
Where to stay near Fabriano
Tours and activities nearby
Offers from GetYourGuide. Some links are affiliate links: if you book we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.