Made in Italy: Brunello Cucinelli Opera knits

These unique garments capture nature and craftsmanship in all its finery

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Solomeo, a medieval hamlet located in the central Italian region of Umbria, can trace its history back to the 12th century. The site’s Church of Saint Bartholomew was first completed in the late 12th to early 13th century; nearby, Solomeo’s past residents built a castle to fortify their settlement in 1391. But to many, it is Brunello Cucinelli who put Solomeo on the map. The Italian creative director and agenda-setting entrepreneur first placed Solomeo at the heart of his empire in 1985.

Born to a family of farmers, Cucinelli was raised off-the-grid in Castel Rigone, a 15th century village near Umbria’s regional capital Perugia and a 30 minute-drive away from Solomeo. Cucinelli dropped out of his engineering degree; changing tack, he began experimenting with the dyeing of soft cashmere, making vivid colours his signature. Cucinelli’s bright knitwear struck a chord; in 1978, he established his eponymous company and four years later, the young entrepreneur and his family relocated to Solomeo. Here, he proceeded to purchase the hamlet’s castle; refurbished, the historic dwelling has been acting as the headquarters of Brunello Cucinelli S.p.A.. Solomeo has since been the foremost benefactor of – and some may argue the engine behind – the meteoric rise of Cucinelli’s business into a global concern, with a turnover of €607.8m (£550.3m) in 2019.

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