The name by which Point D’alençon was known from 1665-1720, at the time when a royal workshop and a Venetian school of lace was established in the area. It was set up by, Louis XIV’s minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert to encourage people to buy national rather than Venetian or Spanish laces; he also had everyone at court forced to wear this lace. The lace workers initially produced copies of Venetian and Spanish point, but over time developed a lace with unique characteristics and fine craftsmanship, which made Alençon’s reputation as the ‘Queen of Laces’.