Italy gave the world two of embroidery's most satisfying geometric styles — and they sit at opposite ends of the same idea. Bargello builds pattern from the background up; Assisi leaves the motif empty. Both are pure, rhythmic, and unmistakably Italian.
Bargello — The Flame Stitch
Bargello (also called Florentine embroidery) is built from upright flat stitches laid in stepped, repeating rows, so the color climbs and falls in sharp zigzags — the classic flame stitch. It takes its name from the Bargello palace in Florence, where such work was displayed. Worked in graduated wools on linen, Bargello reads as bold, architectural movement: perfect for chair seats, cushions, and bands. (It is also known as Hungarian point in some traditions.)
Assisi — The Voided Look
Assisi embroidery, from the Umbrian town of its name, does the reverse. The central motif is left unstitched, and the colored background around it is filled with cross or tent stitch. The result is a striking silhouette — a figure floating in a field of pattern. Traditional Assisi pairs a single motif (a rooster, a tree, a vase) with a geometric border, usually on cream or red ground.
Two Italians, One Love of Order
What unites them is discipline: both rely on counting and repetition rather than free drawing, which is why they feel so calm and so modern. They are a great entry point for makers who like orderly, graphic results.
Geometric Energy, Instantly
If you love crisp, repeating pattern but want it now, a gold-trim chenille letter delivers that clean, confident geometry on a jacket or bag in one step.
Clean pattern, applied in seconds
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Conclusion
Bargello and Assisi show that geometry is its own kind of beauty. Explore more in our embroidery journal.
