Centro Studi di Storia del Tessuto e del Costume

(Center for the Study of the History of Fabric and Costume). It is located in the Palazzo Mocenigo, Venice, the house-museum that was donated to the city in 1945 by the last descendant of that historic family. Established in 1985 by the municipal government, the Center contains the following Collections: the Civic Museums of Venice (consisting of the Museo Correr and Ca’ Rezzonico), the defunct International Center of Arts and Costume at Palazzo Grassi, and the Vittorio Cin Collection. The fabric section contains almost 2,500 pieces, from Coptic finds to Italian hand-work of the first half of the 20^th century. The clothing and accessories section has a large quantity of material from the Venetian 1700s, besides Oriental specimens and styles of the early 1900s. Of great importance is the group of sacred vestments from all parts of the Christian world. There are also several examples of locally-produced lace. The specialized library (reopened to the public in 1986 and kept up-to-date) contains rare and ancient books, a Collection of periodicals from the end of the 1700s up to today, and a Collection of 13,000 fashion-plates. In addition to being a source for thematic exhibitions, the Collections are shown on a rotating basis in the halls of the Palazzo. The Center organizes meetings, classes, and publications.