A vision draped in cashmere

by C. Flisi

A recently-released movie about the life of Italian entrepreneur Brunello Cucinelli is aptly called, “The Gracious Visionary” (Il Visionario Garbato). It is directed by Oscar-winning director Giuseppe Tornatore and describes how a poor engineering school dropout from Perugia, in Italy’s Umbria region, created a billion-dollar enterprise in a tiny village about 14 kilometers (roughly 10.5 miles) southwest of Perugia.

The roots of that village, Solomeo, can be traced back to Etruscan times and are documented from around 700 BCE. Etruscan relics have been found in the area, and the Etruscan deity “Lumm” was apparently honoured by the inhabitants, so the name is believed to be a derivation of “San Lume”.

An excellent time to visit is the 10-day period between late July and early August for the annual Renaissance Fair. This is when Solomeo brings history to life. For ten days, the handful of streets in this dollhouse village (population: 500) are crowded with more than 15,000 visitors from elsewhere in Italy and from abroad. Street performers in costume animate every angle, craftspeople ply local wares ranging from edibles to wearables, and every evening a banquet is served outdoors on rough-hewn wooden tables by locals in Renaissance attire. Almost every visitor to the fair winds up enjoying at least one evening meal. The food and wine are rigorously Umbrian, with the emphasis on pasta, meat, and regional produce such as figs, fava beans, greens, and truffles, all washed down with excellent local wines and the ubiquitous unsalted bread.

If you want to know what it is like to walk the streets of a medieval hamlet with Etruscan origins, albeit a spotlessly clean version free of disease and animal excrement, plan to come before or after the Renaissance Fair. The town may feel a little like Disneyland but there is no admission fee, and you can arrange for a guide to describe Solomeo’s history and architectural features in several languages, including English.

by C. Flisi

These features include the Renaissance-dated Castello di Solomeo, the 16th century Villa Antonori, and the church of San Bartolomeo dating back to the 12th century. Seven schools for crafts — including textile tailoring, cutting, and mending, masonry, and gardening — are tucked away in parts of the castle; students come to learn these artisanal skills much as Renaissance apprentices learned by observing and assisting master craftsmen.

Solomeo also has its own theatre. The latter was completed in 2008, but was constructed with respect for its historical context, so it fits in with the historic buildings. The piazza outside the theatre includes a Roman-style outdoor “amphitheatre” that hosts performances in the summer, when the theatre itself is closed.

by C.Flisi

The name of the theatre, Teatro Cucinelli, is a link to the town’s restoration and its relationship to cashmere: the former was financed by one man, Brunello Cucinelli, and his eponymous company and foundation. Brunello Cucinelli is sometimes called the “king of cashmere”, because the company he founded in 1978 focuses on the design, production, and sale of upscale cashmere garments.

In 1985 Cucinelli bought most of Solomeo, including the castle, the villa, and the church. By then his company was doing well and he wanted to establish headquarters in the then-almost-abandoned hamlet, partly for sentimental reasons (his wife is from Solomeo and he courted her there), partly for economic reasons (a dying town doesn’t cost a lot), and partly for image (a prestige brand needs a prestige headquarters). The importance Brunello Cucinelli attaches to the town can be seen in the logo of his company, which incorporates the coat of arms of the Castello di Solomeo.

Today the Cucinelli family live in Villa Antonori; when not traveling, Brunello can walk to his office, as do about half of the company’s total 3,000 employees who work at headquarters. Visitors are invited to tour various company facilities, such as its gorgeous library, and eyeball others from afar, such as the luminous timber-roofed company restaurant whose main drawback is that it is not open to the public.

by C. Flisi

One can actively participate in the town’s veneration of cashmere at the Cucinelli factory store, part of the headquarters complex. Prices are 30 per cent less than in High Street shops, though they are still far more than the average mortal can afford. The shop is sometimes used as a testing ground for new products and marketing ideas, so you may pick up an item before it makes it way into next season’s collection. All are welcome at the store without prior appointment, but it is advisable to keep J.P. Morgan’s admonition in mind with this high-quality cashmere: “If you have to ask how much it costs, you can’t afford it.”

If you can’t afford the store — or the trip to Italy — you can get a taste of Solomeo and the essence of its renaissance revitalizer by watching Tornatore’s movie about Cucinelli.