# Catanzaro silk: what is left, and where to see it

> Catanzaro's silk guild statutes date from 1519. What survives is Palazzo Marincola, a mid 19th century silk mill now home to the MARCA art museum.

URL: https://myitalia.it/food/producers/seta-di-catanzaro
Last updated: 2026-09-11

Catanzaro's silk trade survives as a date and a building: the guild statutes were fixed in 1519 by a diploma of Charles V, and the mill the City points to, Palazzo Marincola on via Alessandro Turco, now houses the MARCA art museum.

## From 1205 to 1519

The cathasariti, drapes of Catanzaro, are first recorded in 1205. King Ladislaus of Durazzo granted the trade tax relief in 1397, and in 1519 a diploma of Charles V fixed the Capitoli dell'Arte della Seta, the rules of the silk guild.

For centuries Catanzaro was the silk city of the Kingdom of Naples. The technical standard the City cites is 7,600 threads for every damask.

## The looms, a count to read with care

According to the City of Catanzaro, the looms numbered about 500 in the 16th century, rose to 5,000 or 6,000 in the 17th and fell back to about 800 in the 18th.

The 17th century figure is a number handed down, not an archival count, and the City's two pages on silk aren't independent of each other. The decline came between the late 18th and the early 19th century.

## What survives: Palazzo Marincola

Palazzo Marincola is a silk mill of the mid 19th century, and today it houses the MARCA, the Museo delle Arti di Catanzaro, on via Alessandro Turco.

It's the piece of the industry the City points to as visitable. Its opening hours and ticket price aren't verified in our sources, so confirm them with the museum before you build a visit around it.

No working silk workshop appears on the City's pages. What you can see here is a history in a building, not a craft you can buy.

## Pairing it with the Parco della Biodiversità

The Parco della Biodiversità Mediterranea Michele Traversa covers 60 hectares at Via Cortese Vinicio 1, on the site of a disused area.

The City calls it the first international sculpture park in southern Italy, with works by Antony Gormley and Michelangelo Pistoletto among others. That's the City's own description, and nobody has checked it independently.

The park also holds the MUSMI military history museum and a wildlife rescue center. No opening hours or entry conditions are published for it, so the same rule applies: check before you go.

For the full story, see [Catanzaro was the silk city](/stories/catanzaro-was-the-silk-city). For the rest of the town, see [things to do in Catanzaro](/towns/catanzaro/things-to-do) and [Catanzaro](/towns/catanzaro).

## FAQ

### Where can you see Catanzaro's silk history?

MARCA, the Museo delle Arti di Catanzaro, occupies the one silk building the City points to: Palazzo Marincola, an opificio serico of the mid 19th century on via Alessandro Turco. Hours and tickets for MARCA are unverified, so contact the museum first.

### How many silk looms did Catanzaro have?

According to the City of Catanzaro, about 500 in the 16th century, 5,000 to 6,000 in the 17th and about 800 in the 18th. The 17th century figure is a transmitted number that has not been checked against the archives, so read it as the City's account.

### When were the Catanzaro silk statutes written?

In 1519, when the Capitoli dell'Arte della Seta were fixed by a diploma of Charles V. The trade was older: Catanzaro drapes, the cathasariti, are first mentioned in 1205, and King Ladislaus of Durazzo granted it tax privileges in 1397.

### Is Catanzaro's sculpture park open every day?

No hours are published on the City of Catanzaro's page for the Parco della Biodiversità Mediterranea Michele Traversa, and no entry conditions either. What is documented is the place: 60 hectares at Via Cortese Vinicio 1, with sculpture by artists including Antony Gormley and Michelangelo Pistoletto.

## Sources

| Fact | Source | Confidence | Valid until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catanzaro fu per secoli la citta della seta del Regno di Napoli: i Capitoli dell'Arte della Seta furono fissati nel 1519 con diploma di Carlo V, i telai passarono da circa 500 nel Cinquecento a 5.000-6.000 nel Seicento per poi ridursi a circa 800 nel Settecento, e la sede del museo MARCA e Palazzo Marincola, un opificio serico di meta Ottocento. | [Comune di Catanzaro - portale turistico Visit Catanzaro](https://visit.catanzaro.it/index.php/2025/07/17/lantica-capitale-della-seta-catanzaro-tra-arte-colore-e-commerci/); [doc 2](https://visit.catanzaro.it/index.php/attraction/marca-museo-delle-arti-catanzaro-un-viaggio-tra-seta-e-capolavori/) | medium | 2099-12-31 |
| Il Parco della Biodiversita Mediterranea Michele Traversa di Catanzaro si estende su 60 ettari e ospita quello che il Comune presenta come il primo parco internazionale di scultura del Sud Italia, con opere fra gli altri di Antony Gormley e Michelangelo Pistoletto, insieme al museo militare MUSMI e al Centro Recupero Animali Selvatici. | [Comune di Catanzaro - portale turistico Visit Catanzaro](https://visit.catanzaro.it/index.php/attraction/parco-della-biodiversit-mediterranea/) | medium | 2027-12-31 |

## Image

https://media.myitalia.it/media/city.catanzaro.v2.1600.jpg
Author: Nicholas Gemini. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scorcio_di_Catanzaro_02.jpg

## Other languages

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