Silk as the starting point for research and innovation in the visual arts, with an immense heritage to share, and as inspiration for new talents. These are the principles of the Antonio Ratti Foundation, established in 1985 by Antonio Ratti, an enlightened entrepreneur from Como. The same mission informs his Textile Museum, which contains valuable collections of drawings and antique fabrics, because, in the words of Cavalier Ratti, «In my life I have always found great ideas for creativity in museums. I would like others to be able to follow my path».
The Antonio Ratti Foundation, now chaired by Annie Ratti, is a non-profit organisation and tangible project aimed at promoting the area’s silk heritage, with a presence also in the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
The Foundation also explores the history and culture of the past also as a way to divine and create the trends of tomorrow, establishing initiatives and forums, and engaging in artistic, cultural and technological studies.
At its headquarters in Villa Sucota, on the road between Como and Cernobbio, its mission translates into reality with its thematic exhibitions and through the presence of its silk and yarn library, which includes a large collection of journals, antique volumes and over 7,800 specialised books. This rich archive of fabric iconography is an invaluable tool in support of textile art.