San Frediano is in the heart of Florence's old town. For the last 35 years, Carla has entered the Setificio, the silk factory, through its wrought iron gates. Its a world of women; there used to be hundreds of them before the war, but only a handful are left now. Handling these ancient odd-looking machines – that would be the pride of every museum - takes character and dexterity especially when, at the end of the day, only a few centimetres of precious silk have been produced.