In about 1818, Pietro Monti converted an old building for felting wool, along with the irrigation ditch and hydraulic wheel, into a silk spinning mill. In 1869 he extended the building and added a new silk reeling facility. After many years of standing derelict and neglected, the premises were bought by the town council in 1978. In 1981 work got underway to renovate the silk mill and the old machinery. The process, punctuated by a series of ups and downs, included restoring a large circular throwing machine to working order. The 432-spindle machine, made in 1818, stands four storeys tall and has a diameter of five metres.