Since the Middle Ages, the high expenses for importing silk fabrics from Italy burdened France’s state treasury, as the demand for this luxury good by the nobility and the royal house steadily increased. In 1536, Francis I took initial measures to establish an independent silk production primarily in Lyon. He recruited Italian weavers to set up French silk manufactories. In Provence, 10 million mulberry trees were planted for silkworm breeding. However, silkworm breeding remained insignificant for production, and the majority of raw silk had to be imported from other countries. The variety of silk fabrics was large, reaching its peak in the 18th century. At that time, there were about 200 different woven silk types.
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