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Silk consumption and dressing practices in late-medieval Catalonia: the cases of Barcelona and Vic (1400–1460)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2025

Aina Palarea Marimón Open the ORCID record for Aina Palarea Marimón [Opens in a new window]
Aina Palarea Marimón*
Affiliation:
Department of History, European University Institute, Florence, Italy
*
Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

This article examines how consumer preferences towards silk fabrics changed in Catalonia over the course of the first sixty years of the 15th century. It argues that during the first half of the 15th century silk became a luxury fabric for the wealthiest households of Catalan urban society. This change was triggered by the crisis of Europe's most prestigious manufacturing centres of high-quality woollens. Moreover, this article also claims that the adoption of silk as Catalonia's newest luxury fabric entailed a transition from lighter and plain silks to more expensive and elaborate silk fabrics. Finally, it connects this sumptuary shift to the technological development of the Italian silk industry and its later diffusion in Europe.

Resumen

Resumen

Este artículo analiza la transformación en las preferencias de consumo de las familias catalanas respecto a los tejidos de lujo durante los primeros sesenta años del siglo XV. Se argumenta que, a lo largo de este periodo, la seda progresivamente se convirtió en un tejido de lujo para las familias más acaudaladas de la sociedad urbana catalana, impulsada por la crisis de los prestigiosos centros europeos de producción de lanas de alta calidad. Asimismo, este artículo sostiene que esta adopción marcó una transición hacia sedas más elaboradas y costosas, desplazando las variedades ligeras y sencillas. Por último, se relaciona este cambio suntuario con el desarrollo tecnológico de la industria de la seda italiana y su posterior difusión en la Europa mediterránea.

Keywords

Catalonia15th centurysilk consumptionluxury textilesfashionD12N33O33Z13Catalunyasiglo XVconsumo de sedatejidos de lujomoda
Type
Articles/Artículos
Information
Revista de Historia Economica - Journal of Iberian and Latin American Economic History , First View , pp. 1 - 31
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Instituto Figuerola de Historia y Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

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