By Alison Ramsey

Sports such as hockey, basketball, volleyball, tennis and soccer usually celebrate athletes as the main attraction, but maybe it's time to spotlight the sports equipment and ask, "But who makes the nets?" The answer lies in the beautiful village of Monte Isola, Italy, rising as a mountain island from the middle of Lake Iseo in the Brescia province in Lombardy.

Monte Isola comprises three islands, the largest of which is the charming Montisola. This hidden gem's artisanal net-making craft has been crucial to its economy and history for centuries, beginning as a necessary artform with women hand-weaving nets the men used for fishing.

Net quality directly impacted the quality and quantity of fish caught. When tourism eventually replaced fishing as the island's main economic focus, the net-making industry evolved into the mechanized crafting of high-quality, durable nets used for sports, safety and animal control.

Montisola is the largest lake island in Europe and is reachable only by boat (ferries run approximately every 20 minutes during the day). With a population of 1,700 people and a no-car rule (the mayor, priest and doctor get an exception), visitors feel transported back to simpler times without the constant noise or pollution of traffic. Motorcycles are allowed for residents only, but the entire island can be explored via small public service buses, bicycles, by foot or along the shore by boat.

Bresciareti, one of several net companies on the island, is located right on the southern tip, along the walking and biking path that runs all around the water's edge. Charismatic owner Paolo Archetti explained that nets were initially woven using silk because it is more water-resistant than cotton, which becomes too heavy when water-laden. Friars in a Franciscan convent on neighboring San Paolo Island just south of Montisola (now privately owned since 1916 by the firearm-manufacturing Beretta family) began making handmade nets and taught the skill to Venetian prisoners on the island.

Women in island families were responsible for weaving nets, working at the factory during the day and then continuing labor at home to earn money for their dowries. Children were tasked with filling up the specially shaped two-ended wooden needle with thread to prepare it for the weaving process. Archetti said that needles of this traditional design were also found in the ruins of Pompeii.

During World War II, the Bresciareti company produced camouflage nets, with the owner of the factory simply throwing a ball of thread out to the workers and those who could catch the ball got the job. Competition for a net-making profession was high because those who showed they were actively working and providing nets for the war were able to escape enlistment.

Other net usages and orders in the past were for hunting purposes and for protecting the Vatican from pigeons. In 2016 artist Christo's "The Floating Piers" temporary artwork installment involved a special need for nets. This giant floating walkway extending across Lake Iseo was constructed of polyethylene cubes and covered with shimmering yellow-orange fabric.

The 1.9-mile-long floating walkway gave pedestrians the feeling they were walking on water and allowed them to travel by foot from mainland Sulzano to Montisola and San Paolo islands. Open and free to the public, this impermanent project was in place for 16 days, and Bresciareti specially created nets to protect the island walls from the buoyant piers until the installation was deconstructed and the materials recycled.

Bresciareti's smaller, handmade items are constructed using the thread-loaded two-ended needle and wrapping the fiber artfully around a wooden dowel to weave the knotted diamond pattern you might see in a basketball net. Nowadays, handmade nets are rare, as they can be efficiently produced using machinery.

For larger items and orders, Archetti and his team act as tailors, cutting and refining the nets after the machine does its work. Currently, Bresciareti's biggest demand is for sports nets, while he also produces scaffolding nets and fulfilling unique customer-specific net needs. Archetti announced that the company was just commissioned to make hockey nets for the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

The Bresciareti storefront on Montisola is a fascinating shopping stop for handmade souvenirs and colorful accessories. Visitors can choose from handwoven knotted tote bags with patterned canvas liners, crossbody water bottle holders, sturdy woven keychains, braided bracelets, keepsake magnets and bright glass fishing float ornaments suspended in rope netting.

Handmade items sold in the shop show careful workmanship, and their traditional knotted styles and nautical themes are a memorable souvenir of the island experience. Archetti said it takes about three hours to handweave a hammock, 20 minutes to create a woven tote bag and five minutes to produce a basketball net. During the 2026 Winter Olympics, be sure to check out the hockey nets and imagine the peaceful mountain island on which they were created.

WHEN YOU GO

For more information: visitlakeiseo.info/en/places/monte-isola

Nets hang in a maker's workshop with Lake Iseo in the background. Photo courtesy of Alison Ramsey.

Paolo Archetti demonstrates making nets in Montisola, Italy. Photo courtesy of Alison Ramsey.

This peek into Retificio Archetti Paolo gives travelers another clue into the making of the region's famous nets. Photo courtesy of Alison Ramsey.

Alison Ramsey is a freelance writer and photographer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Nets hang in a maker's workshop with Lake Iseo in the background. Photo courtesy of Alison Ramsey.