The founder Anita Belleschi Grifoni

Photograph, 1930

Anita (Panicale 1889- 1978) after having lost her very young mother, was entrusted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Institute in Città della Pieve, where in addition to receiving a serious education, she was traditionally instructed in the art of embroidery, part of all of those “female works” taught within women’s institutes. Anita was able to deepen the art of embroidery thanks to her contacts with Countess Barabino di Lemura, for whom she worked with for the restoration of 19th century refined pieces of embroidery of French or Venetian origin. Inspired by these pieces and finding evidence of tulle embroidery in the rich ecclesiastic heritage of the Church, and especially in the Collegiate Church of St. Michael Archangel, Anita founded the ‘Ars Panicalensis’ embroidery on tulle technique. Panicale was also home to the nuns of the College of Virgins, expert embroiderers on tulle who left an important heritage of sacred vestments that Anita was able to see.

Recognised by the National Artisan and Small Businesses Association between 1936 and 1938, the school soon became famous among noble families and the upper middle class, but above all the embroidery school offered many women from Panicale the possibility of taking a first step towards economic independence and to reach a sense of achievement through the creativity they expressed in the making of these pieces. ‘Ars Panicalensis’ in Anita’s time was a contagious passion for many women of the country, who everyone called “Sorannita”. If she didn’t like the work she paid for it anyway, and then burnt it, and when larger pieces were finished, she loved displaying them around the town and to admire them hanging from the windows of her house.