Arazzeria Medicea

factory, Florence, Italy

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June 18, 2026

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The Arrazeria Medicea, founded in Florence, Italy, in 1546 by Cosimo I de' Medici, was a significant tapestry factory during the 16th century. This factory was a key part of the Italian Renaissance's emphasis on the art of painting, with cartoons designed by prominent Florentine Mannerist artists such as Jacopo Pontormo, Francesco Salviati, Il Bronzino, and Bachiacca. The Arrazeria Medicea was initially led by Flemish weavers Nicolas Karcher and Jan van der Roost and became the most important tapestry factory in Italy during that period, operating into the early 18th century.1

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tapestry
16th century
The Arrazeria Medicea founded in 1546 in Florence by the Medici grand duke Cosimo I (1519–74) was the most important tapestry factory instituted in Italy during the 16th century and survived into the early 18th century. It was headed initially by the famous mid-15th-century Flemish weavers…
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The Arrazeria Medicea founded in 1546 in Florence by the Medici grand duke Cosimo I (1519–74) was the most important tapestry factory instituted in Italy during the 16th century and survived into the early 18th century. It was headed initially by the famous mid-15th-century Flemish weavers…
Read More