Italy is by far the world’s leading exporter of wool textiles. In 1989, for
example, Italy accounted for 39 percent of world exports of wool fabrics and
46 percent of world exports of fine wool (United Nations 1991). The Italian
industry is centered in three areas; the Prato area in Tuscany, the Piedmont
town of Biella, and the Veneto region. Today, Prato, which is just outside of
Florence, accounts for roughly 50 percent of Italian wool textile production,
Biella 30 percent, and the Veneto region around 15 percent to 20 percent (Italian
Wool Industry Association, private communication). The industry is even
more localized than these figures suggest. Biella firms specialize in top-quality
fabrics for men’s clothing, whereas Prato firms generally supply mediumquality
fabrics for women’s wear. Prato firms account for roughly threequarters
of the medium-quality wool fabric produced in Italy.