Silk consumption and dressing practices in late-medieval Catalonia: the cases of Barcelona and Vic (1400–1460)

Abstract This article examines how consumer preferences towards silk fabrics changed in Catalonia over the course of the first sixty years of the 15 th century. It argues that during the first half of the 15 th century silk became a luxury fabric for the wealthiest households of Catalan urban society. This change was triggered by the crisis of Europe's most prestigious manufacturing centres of high-quality woollens. Moreover, this article also claims that the adoption of silk as Catalonia's newest luxury fabric entailed a transition from lighter and plain silks to more expensive and elaborate silk fabrics. Finally, it connects this sumptuary shift to the technological development of the Italian silk industry and its later diffusion in Europe.