Filanda di Forno

The Filanda of Forno is a textile factory located in the village of Forno in the Province of Massa-Carrara in Tuscany. It was built at the tail end of the 20th century and began full production in 1891.

The complex consisted of three large blocks, next to which there were two residences that once served as housing for factory workers and assistants. The huge machinery that spun cotton worked thanks to the power of the water of the Frigido River, which operated the turbines. At its peak, the spinning mill employed just under a thousand workers.

In 1942, during World War II, the spinning mill closed due to a lack of raw materials. German troops looted parts and machinery from the shuttered factory, and planted explosives that heavily damaged the buildings and led to roofs and attics collapsing. After the war, the factory’s turbine was used to produce electricity until 1970, and then it finally fell into a state of neglect.

In 2013, an industrial museum opened at the site of the former textile factory. The surviving machinery was exhibited, but in recent years this has closed. Today, the spinning mill is again in a state of decay and abandonment.