History of France Rugs: The history of rug weaving in France begins its root in the 8th century, but the actual rug weaving started during the 13th Century. During the 8th century Moor invasion on Spain and France made the people to flee and refuge in southern France near Aubusson and the Creuse River. The place and climatic condition supported weaving and dying of textiles, the refuges developed the art of rug weaving and thought the same to the natives of the place. In the 13th Century French people had begun weaving rugs.

In the following years rugs making art progressed and spread across the north and Paris. The France capital became a prominent city in the weaving industry. By the beginning of 16th Century tapestries from Aubusson and Savonnerie had a great demand in French aristocracy and at the court of Versailles. The craft of carpet in France became renowned as the best place in manufacturing of rugs.

Aubusson & Savonnerie: The Aubusson and Savonnerie type explain the method used in creating and weaving the fabric and savonnerie indicate the carpet but not the place of manufacture and the production of tapestry had progressed in other parts of the France. The Savonnerie are hand knotted pile canvas, these Savonnerie carpets were solely used by royal court and noble families and Aubusson are flat weave rugs without the customarily fringes and the side hemmed, these rugs are predominantly used in the public market place. The Aubusson is easy in producing as it consumes less time to manufacture, it requires less wool than the knotted pile and above all, it is cost effective.

In the reign of King Henry II, he took the initiative to develop the weaving industry and established factory at Paris, Tours, and Felletin to meet the increasing demand. During the rule of Henry IV, further the progress took place; he established court loom in Louvre, especially to produce oriental pile carpets. The looms were housed in the soap factory Savonnerie, the carpet was named after the soap factory, mean while in Paris, an official state factory to produce wall hangings to meet the necessary for his chateau and to add hype, ninety carpets of the size16' × 30' were ordered by the king Louis XIV for the Palace at Versailles. It was the golden era for rug weaving in France.

France like other countries doesn’t have any particular type of their own, but the Aubusson rugs are of 200 year old pattern is still familiar. The design in these rugs mainly copied from Indian, china and Persian. These rugs are sturdy and cost effective.