A vast park developed around the building over the centuries, exploiting the environmental connotations of the place also for the cultivation of hemp, a crop that became fundamental for the industrial development of the area. 

Towards the end of the 18th century silk production was replaced by spinning machines and looms for the production of hemp fabrics, including the famous and popular rigatino. The presence of the Secchia river and a network of canals allowed the sector to develop thanks also to the innovations introduced by the First Industrial Revolution, such as the steam engine.

In this fascinating and engaging historical reconstruction, Linificio e Canapificio Nazionale contributed to the new layout by providing seeds, yarn, fabric and raw hemp for the textile section, supporting the rearrangement of the exhibition space.

A historical memory and reference point for outreach projects, Linificio believes in the dissemination of the culture of flax and hemp as an important point for improving conscious consumer’s choices towards a more sustainable fashion: the essential recognition of the past for the construction of a better future.