Sardinian Carpets - Mariantonia Urru

We are back in Sardinia, to talk about textile design and carpets in the small town of Samugheo, home to an ancient textile tradition that has been handed down from generation to generation. These days it has become a real commercial hub, with 20 industrial workshops and a Museum of Sardinian Textile Art.

Many companies on this millennia-old island have been founded by the initiatives of women and we love to celebrate their success and share their stories with you. After the wonderful work of Caterina Quartana, today we are visiting with an extraordinary woman: Mariantonia Urru.

Telling the Story of Sardinia Through Design

Mariantonia Urru is a weaver, an entrepreneur and a mother of four. In 1981 she laid the foundations of a textile company which would go on to make itself known across the sea- in Italy and abroad. Today Mariantonia shares Sardinia with the world through her art, by combining traditional weaving techniques and ancient traditions with an international design sense.

Together with her children, Gian Bachisio, Antonello, Giuseppe, and Graziano (3 of which are engineers), Mariantonia Urru has transformed the family business into a technological company.

Sardinian carpets by Mariantonia Urru are unique pieces made of wool, cotton, linen, and silk. Wool is the dominant fiber used, making up 80% of all the raw materials. Mariantonia and her children closely monitor the entire supply chain of specialists, starting from the collection at the local sheep farms to the washing, carding, dyeing, and spinning.

They frequently collaborate with designers from all over the world, inviting them to visit Sardinia and to experience the inspirational nature and landscape. In this way, they can have a real understanding of the land and embody the culture of the island in their works.

Sardinian carpets, design and technical solutions

After the design process, the planning and industrialization phase begins, and a prototype is created. This is the meeting point between the designer’s idea and the technical solutions of Mariantonia Urru. A 5 square meter carpet takes about 15 days of work.

Mariantonia Urru and her sons are among the true interpreters of a long term vision of modernity for Sardinia, that inevitably continues to quietly develop under the radar. As is often the case with island cultures, they are helping to define what ‘progress’ means to them and how tradition is intertwined with it to create a new and unique reality.

Well done!

You can find their Sardinian carpets on the website.