Cork in all its forms
Portugal is the leading producer of cork oak and the Alentejo alone produces half of the world's cork! It takes 25 years for a tree to produce cork and the outer bark of cork oaks(Quercus suber) is only harvested once every nine years. On its red, raw "skin", the oak then makes a new layer of bark that will take its time to be peeled off again. Buying cork(cortiça) is therefore accessing a piece of this long natural history... In Portugal, the law protecting the cork oak has created thousands of hectares of protected forests, the largest in southern Europe: the Montados. A haven of peace for various species of birds, including finches and music thrushes, which come to take refuge there in the bad season. Forests that can be exploited for a long time: a cork oak(sobreiro) can live 200 years! Cork is a versatile material: in addition to bottle caps, it is used for building insulation and has unexpected uses: a famous Portuguese designer has offered a dress... made of cork to the singer Lady Gaga. But you can be satisfied with a handbag, an umbrella made of cork, or why not a simple postcard..
A glazed pottery
The Alentejo is rich in clay deposits, and it is from this clay that the material for artisanal pottery is obtained. Glazed pottery can take many forms and is both beautiful and practical in the kitchen and dining room. During your trip to the Alentejo, you will easily find earthenware: plates, jars, tureens, vases, amphoras... But the most famous manufacturing workshops are in Viana do Alentejo, Redondo and São Pedro de Corval. The latter is the largest pottery center in the Iberian Peninsula; it is located near Reguengos de Monsaraz, close to the Spanish border, and has over 30 workshops. You will surely have the opportunity to witness the making of the ceramics, including the work of the artisans on the wheel. In the district of Portalegre, Crato is home to a pottery school and in Nisa they makeolaria pedrada: an original pottery decorated with small white stones and quartz inlays.
A figurine of Estremoz
Since 2017, the clay figurines of Estremoz are included in the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. A beautiful tribute for this craft that, since the 17th century, illustrates the peasant life of the Alentejo through large santons, which represent the trades of the countryside and popular traditions. The pieces are first modeled, then fired in a kiln, before being painted and varnished by hand. The figurines are dressed in regional costumes or in outfits inspired by Christian iconography. The very characteristic aesthetics of the figurines allow for their immediate identification: in addition to the saints and the crib, there are often dancers carrying a bow of roses from one shoulder to the other, a blindfolded female figure that evokes blind love and even soldiers from Napoleon's armies, recalling the French invasions. The Joaquim Vermelho Municipal Museum, in Estremoz, houses a remarkable collection of 18th and 19th century pieces.
A carpet of Arraiolos
Prized for centuries for the richness of their traditional motifs, the carpets of Arraiolos are hand-embroidered according to an ancestral know-how: the craft of tapestry making is one of the oldest in the country. It is said that in the 12th century, Moors driven out of Lisbon by King Manuel I stopped in Arraiolos where the population passed them off as converts. They were the ones who initiated the work of the carpet factory. Even today, in Arraiolos, it is not uncommon to see the embroiderers sitting in front of their houses, reproducing, stitch by stitch, the traditional motifs. The Centro interpretativo do tapete de Arraiolos, located in one of the oldest buildings in the city, allows you to understand everything about the manufacture of carpets.
Bells of Alcáçovas
In Alcáçovas, bells have been made for cattle for 200 years! Passed down from generation to generation, this craft is still practiced in other Alentejo municipalities such as Estremoz, Viana do Alentejo or Reguengos de Monsaraz. But it is in Alcáçovas that you can visit the Bell Museum (Fabrico de Chocalhos). It houses more than 3,000 bells, most of which adorn the walls: each one emits a unique sound... This museum is a manufacturing workshop, that of João Penetra, a professional master ringer. In Portugal, there are only 13 masters specialized in the manufacture of bells, the majority of them living in Alentejo. Listed as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO, the manufacture of bells is disappearing: the traditional breeding is decreasing and the bells are now manufactured industrially. It is a pity: the Portuguese bell played a unique role in the sound landscape of the Alentejo!
Azulejos
They can be found on the facades of buildings in Lisbon and even on the walls of the most confidential churches of the Alentejano plain... If the Portuguese have mastered the art of earthenware marvelously, this one was bequeathed to them by... the Moors, who introduced it when they arrived in the south of the country, to embellish their palaces. Azulejos comes from the Arabic al-zulayd, which means small polished stone. In Portugal, they developed their own style: blue and white tiles, used to represent scenes of religious life, sometimes on very large surfaces. If you can still find old tiles (or made in the old way) at high prices, the choice of contemporary azulejos is very wide and can be, individually, an original gift ..
And also..
In Portalegre, the decorative wall tapestries are true works of art that reproduce scenes from daily life. In Reguengos de Monsaraz and Mértola, there are brightly colored blankets made of sheep's wool(mantas alentejanas), originally used by shepherds in winter. In Odivelas, baskets and mats are created from vegetable fiber: the straw, raw or dyed, is hand-woven on a loom, like a carpet! Finally, everywhere in Alentejo, you will find small painted furniture decorated with floral motifs..
