Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage, Alençon lace owes its particularity to patterns of great finesse created without any weft or warp. Present since the 15th century, it really developed from 1660 when Marthe la Perrière designed the Alençon stitch that would soon compete with Venice's. From 1665, Colbert created a factory that enabled providing the royal court, the Sun King, and later Louis XIV. In the 18th century, Alençon housed more than 80 factories that employed 10,000 lacemakers.