TEXMED IN Kick Off Meeting 6-7 April 2009 PRATO TEXTILE MUSEUM ACTIVITIES, PROJECTS AND OUTPUTS INCREASING PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN TEXTILE MUSEUMS, ENTERPRISES ARCHIVES AND DESIGN Filippo Guarini THE ORIGINS AND THE EDUCATIONAL VOCATION THE MUSEUM WAS OPENED IN 1975 IN THE TEXTILE TECHNICAL INSTITUTE “TULLIO BUZZI” AS A CULTURAL INSTITUTION FOR THE RECOVERY OF THE LOCAL PRODUCTIVE HISTORY TO SUPPORT TRAINING IN THE SECTOR OF TEXTILE DESIGN THIS EDUCATIONAL POURPOSE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FEATURES OF THE MUSEUM MISSION PRATO TEXTILE HYSTORY AND THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT WOOL MANIFACTURING STARTS FROM MEDIEVAL AGES THE DEVELOPMENT OF TEXTILE INDUSTRIALIZATION: THE MUSEUM COLLECTS SAMPLE BOOKS FROM 19°CENTURY THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TEXTILE DISTRICT STARTS FROM THE TRADITION OF RIGENERATED WOOL TODAY PRATO TEXTILE DISCTRICT COMPRISES OVER 7000 ENTERPRISES PRODUCING: FABRICS, YARNS, CLOTHING, TEXTILE MACHINERY