Michelangelo Jesurum was one of two key figures in establishing the Venetian lace industry, which overtook the rival French, founding his lace-making workshop in 1870 in the ancient church of Sant'Apollonia in Venice. After learning the art of Pellestrina bobbin lace he went to Venice to revive the ancient art of lacemaking which had fallen into decline. Adding coloured threads to the laces earned a Grand Prize for Jesurum at the 1878 Universal Exhibition in Paris, and he acquired the reputation of “the Michelangelo of Lace” while Jesurum's fame won him the position of “official Royal lacemaker”. By the beginning of the 20th century there were seven Jesurum workshops employing nearly 3000 women and the lace was recognized and sought worldwide. Jesurum became lacemakers to the Italian Royal family and other nobility throughout Europe. In 1906 Michelangelo Jesurum opened a Lace Museum in his home. World War I interrupted the workshops and halted the market for lace. Jesurum kept many of its workers employed making military uniforms. Only a marginal increase in business after the war put the company in danger of bankruptcy and closure. In 1939 the Levi Moreno family took over the company but kept the name as it was well-known and respected. The business exists to this day.