Luigi Bevilaqua

Luigi Bevilacqua

Founded in Venice in 1875, Luigi Bevilacqua is a family-run textile house whose connection to weaving dates back to the 15th century. The Tessitura continues to produce its fabrics using techniques passed down through generations of the Bevilacqua family.

Today, the company is led by Rodolfo Bevilacqua, President and Head of Production, and his brother Alberto Bevilacqua, CEO and Head of Marketing. Their leadership continues the family’s longstanding connection to Venetian textile production.

In Australia, Luigi Bevilacqua is available exclusively through BOYAC. Interior designers and architects can explore the collection as part of our range of designer furnishing fabrics. We work exclusively with designers, architects, manufacturers and specifiers as a trade-only supplier.

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About the Brand

Weavers since the 15th century

The Bevilacqua family’s place in Venetian textile history can be traced to 1499. Giovanni Mansueti’s painting St Mark Dragged to the Synagogue identifies one of its patrons as ‘Giacomo Bevilacqua Weaver’, while later archival records document other members of the family working in the textile trade.

Luigi Bevilacqua and Giovanni Battista Gianoglio established the Tessitura in 1875, when the Arts and Crafts movement renewed interest in traditional workmanship across Europe and the United States. The new factory revived 18th-century manual looms associated with Venice’s former School of the Art of Silk.

Continuing the tradition

Luigi Bevilacqua remains the only company in Venice producing handwoven velvets using ancient manual Jacquard looms. The work continues at its historic premises overlooking the Grand Canal, where original 18th-century looms remain in use.

Mechanical production has worked alongside these manual methods since the 1930s, using exclusive Bevilacqua designs.

The finest fabrics

Velvets, damasks, lampases and brocatelles form part of the Luigi Bevilacqua collection, alongside its distinctive handmade soprarizzo velvet. Historical designs remain prominent, with patterns drawing on decorative periods and motifs preserved within the Tessitura’s archive.

Soprarizzo velvet is woven on original 18th-century looms. Two levels of pile give the fabric its characteristic relief: one high and smooth, the other lower and curled. The intricate process is entirely manual, with production reaching approximately 30 centimetres per day.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Luigi Bevilacqua fabrics have appeared in private homes and public spaces, including palaces, churches and theatres, as well as high-fashion garments. The company continues to work with designers and architects on contemporary projects and restorations.

BOYAC supplies the collection to trade clients working across residential textile applications and commercial interiors. Product information and samples are available to assist designers and architects with their own selection and specification process.

Luigi Bevilacqua continues weaving fabrics by hand on original 18th-century looms alongside its mechanical production capabilities. Soprarizzo velvet is one of the clearest expressions of this expertise. Its combination of cut and curled pile cannot be reproduced on mechanical looms, while the two surfaces reflect light differently to give the woven pattern greater depth.

Velvets are distinguished by their raised pile, which gives the surface depth and changes how colour responds to light. Luigi Bevilacqua produces both handmade and mechanically woven velvets, with compositions and structures varying across the collection.

Damasks create their pattern through the weave itself. A satin weave creates a contrast between shiny and matte areas, giving the design its characteristic changing lustre without introducing a separate colour for the pattern.

Lampases use two warp systems and at least two sets of wefts. This construction allows decorative patterns to stand clearly against the background and accommodates metallic threads such as gold or silver.

Brocatelles belong to the lampas family and have pronounced motifs in relief. A rigid secondary warp and weft create their raised surface, while the fabric remains lighter than brocade.

Soprarizzo velvets combine cut and curled pile at different heights, giving the finished pattern its distinctive changes in texture and light.

Trade clients can view Luigi Bevilacqua samples at BOYAC showrooms across Australia and speak with the team about the collection, product information and availability. BOYAC has locations in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, with a Perth presence at DDC.