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The Textiles Museum is one of the two museums in Busto Arsizio that specialises in spinning and weaving.

Ottolini’s Cotton Mill
Ottolini’s Cotton Mill is one of the first settlements in Busto Arsizio which was built outside of the ancient centre of the village, in the north of St. Michael’s Church. The first project can be found in the National Archives of Varese in 1857. =Recent History of the Museum= On the 19th January 1978 the Cotton Mill closed down the production because of the outdated equipment. The Cotton Mill was restored under the new management of Bustese Industrie Riunite, whose Head Office is situated in Olgiate Olona. In 1980 the Parish of Busto Arsizio bought the museum which was run-down. In 1987 some parts of the museum were demolished to build a garden area.

The Current Museum
On the 30th January 1997, after some years of restoration, the Museum was officially reopened. The museum has 3 floors as well as 2 towers. On the ground floor there is the original spinning and weaving machinery. The first floor is dedicated to the history of Jacquard manufacturing, from the original machinery to computers. This level is important for “the experiences room”, where you can touch the different stages of cotton preparation and you can also see the packaging and delivery of the products. On the second floor you can see the stages of dyeing and printing fabric and you can also find many finished products, from specialised outfits of this century to new synthetic fibres. This includes astronaut uniform, Formula 1 jumpsuits and fashion clothing such as a Valentino dress.