The Rosset sheep is on the verge of extinction: only about a thousand remain, and 80 percent are in the Aosta Valley. Their wool produces a raw yarn that, once woven on the loom, becomes Drap of Valgrisenche, a warm fabric found only here. To save this yarn, the Tessitura Drap was founded 55 years ago, later becoming the Cooperativa Les Tisserands. Today, in an entirely female-run operation, weaving is done on wooden looms, creating garments—even made to measure—that carry manual skill, creativity, passion, and artisanal tradition.

Every spring, Rosset breeders bring their animals to Valgrisenche; like an ancient barter, the women shear them, calling in one of the few remaining shearers from nearby France, and in return, they receive the wool, which would otherwise go to waste since it is not sought after on the market. To produce the Les Tisserands yarns, the wool is sent to Biella; once the rolls are prepared, production can begin.

Clothing, accessories, and home furnishings are all made, with a market centered in Italy but extending to Northern Europe, including France, Switzerland, Germany, and Belgium. Their production numbers are those of an exclusive operation, where even the buttons are handcrafted. A small museum on the upper floor of the workshop tells the story of the Pays des Tisserands, the land of the weavers, showing that none of this would be possible anywhere else but here, where the sounds, colors, and scents of an ancient tradition can still be experienced.