Bobbin lacemaking

Until 1893, around 40 families of the Valle Aurina used to earn their daily bread in the copper mine of
Predoi. When it closed down they were unemployed and had to find a new way to earn money. Supported by the owner of the mine and the priest Franz Kleinlechner, some women of the valley travelled abroad to learn the craft of bobbin lacemaking.

The pioneer of this handicraft in Predoi was Rosa Kofler Mittermaier, who returned to Predoi after attending lace making courses in Vienna, London and Slovenia. She then opened a bobbin lacemaking school in Predoi where she handed this handicraft down to the future generations . Once a reliable source of income, bobbin lacemaking is now a highly-appreciated handicraft whose popularity spread also beyond the regional borders. Since 1994 the local bobbin lacemaking association of Predoi has organised bobbin lacemaking courses and even meetings where the locals showcase their craft and talent.