"Canapino Kali" hemp towels

Canapino Kali towels are woven in pure untreated hemp.

Naturally hypoallergenic and highly absorbent, the cloth releases moisture and becomes softer wash after wash. It tends to crease easily, yet just as easily recovers its fold. In the 1940s, Italy was the world’s second biggest producer of hemp, more than 100,000 hectares were planted. After World War II, changes in cultivation policy and the move towards synthetic fibres led to a decline in hemp production.

The history of the cloth or in Italian “panno” is closely linked to the cultivation of hemp: producing the cloth was so important in the farmer's subsistence economy of the past that a piece of land was always kept available for the cultivation of hemp or linen. In general, each farmhouse used to produce from six to ten bands of “canna” (hemp) from which at least a couple of sheets, a tablecloth, a couple of clothes, some sackcloth and a few saddlebags could be obtained.