The ICOC has announced that the XVI International Conference on Oriental Carpets will be held in Brescia, northern Italy 13-16 May 2027. The first announced dates 27-30 May are changed to 13-16 May. Plans are being made to extend ICOC-XVI to Milan.
The conference will take place at the Centro Paolo VI, a conference centre with hotel and restaurant facilities in the historic city centre. The venue includes a 200-seat conference room, a second 100-seat room connected via internal television, and additional spaces for the Dealer’s Fair, with capacity for 60–70 exhibitors. A cloister surrounded by a four-sided portico will be used for carpet displays and receptions. The centre has 110 hotel rooms and approximately 300 parking spaces.
The conference is organised in close co-operation with the Fondazione Tassara and the MITA Museum — the Museum of Antique Carpets in Brescia. The museum holds nearly 1,400 carpets of historical significance, and its director, Flavio Pasotti, serves on the ICOC International Committee. The Fondazione Tassara has committed to providing both organisational and financial support.
Delegates will be within walking distance of the Palazzo Salvadego, whose Ladies’ Hall contains murals by Moretto da Brescia depicting Mamluk carpets, and the Teatro Grande, where an exhibition may be staged by the MITA Museum.
Link: ICOC website