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Palm Weaving Shop

Palm Weaving Shop

Description

Loulé is traditionally the land of palm weavers, women who intertwine the palm leaves (from the dwarf palm tree abundant in the region), in a more or less complex braid and with which they create a wide variety of utilitarian and decorative pieces.

The origin of this art is lost in time, but it is known that in the sixteenth-century Algarve the enterprise was already a thriving industry, largely due to the growth of fruit growing in the region and the importance that basketry reached in the harvesting, drying and transport of almonds, carob, figs, grapes, oranges, etc.

In the past, there were many women who dedicated themselves to this activity and there were few houses where the technique was unknown. Nowadays it is no longer like that and this extraordinary art is disappearing. To counteract this situation, the Palm Weaving shop was created in 2017.

Owned by the Municipality, the “Palm Weaving Shop” re-enacts in its current form, what about a century ago were the houses of the palm weaving that existed throughout the Algarve, highlighting the one in Loulé for its importance.

The Palm Weaving Shop, located in the heart of the historic center of the city, is made up of a collective of artisans who intertwine the palm, sew and connect each of its branches, using ancestral techniques, to produce varied pieces that are the delight of visitors. From carrycots to rugs, from doormats to lamps, here you can find from traditional pieces to completely innovative pieces, where the limit is imagination.

The space also offers workshops on palm weaving and palm mesh, as well as more in-depth courses on the craft.

Address

Rua Vice-Almirante Cândido dos Reis, n.º 20, 8100-641 Loulé

GPS Location

Latitude: 37.13920232657043
Longitude: -8.023367860702013

Schedule

Monday to Friday: 10h00 – 16h00 / Saturday: 9h30 – 13h00

Phone

+351 289 400 618
Chamada para a Rede Fixa Nacional

Email

loulecriativo@cm-loule.pt

Artisans

Margarida Cortez
Originally from Loulé, she learned the palm knitting technique at the age of 12, with her stepmother and began to contribute to the family budget. He emigrated to France, where he lived for 45 years. At that time I came to Portugal on vacation and liked to make some pieces, so as not to forget what I had learned. After retirement, he returned to his origins and dedicated himself again to palm work, as a way of occupying his time and not letting the craft die. She teaches her art in workshops, with the support of her husband - Jorge Ferreira - who is a master of the baracinha.

Margarida Cortez

Alzira Neves
An artisan from Boliqueime, Alzira has dedicated herself to the art of the enterprise since she was 11 years old, following her mother's teachings. A master of colourful patterns and the undertaking of 7 and 9 extensions, he creates traditional pieces such as carrycots, rugs, fans and dukes — his hallmark. With a regular presence at fairs such as Fatacil, Feira da Serra and Feira de Artesanato de Loulé, it has proudly been part of Casa da Empreita since its foundation, keeping the tradition of the Algarve palm alive.

Alzira Neves

Maria Alberto Martins
"Bia" (as she is affectionately called) is a master of the baracinha (a kind of skein), has magical hands, and a good sense of humor that would make many young people envious.

Maria Alberto Martins

Cremilde Lourenço
With a restless spirit and a will to constantly improve, the art of crafting came late into this artisan's life. From an early age she began to sew, and at the age of 45 she attended a course in palm and esparto - an old dream, which she had the opportunity to fulfill. With a particular taste for innovation, she combines her talent for sewing with different techniques and materials that result in unique objects that seek perfection.

Cremilde Lourenço

Lurdes Costa
Born in Alentejo, she soon moved to the municipality of Loulé, where she learned to weave with a neighbor. However, life took many turns, and she worked in various places and put her weaving aside for some time. She is currently the youngest artisan at Casa da Empreita. Passionate about crafts, she is always eager to learn new things. In recent times he discovered the palm knit technique, to which he has dedicated himself, working it individually or together with the contract, trying to make different and innovative pieces.

Lurdes Costa

Sónia Mendez
Born in Venezuela, it was in Loulé that, as a child, she had her first contacts with the art of palm by the hand of her maternal grandmother. Creative and versatile, she masters various artisanal techniques and combines tradition and innovation in her pieces. In 2019 he conceived and coordinated a nativity scene in an almost life-size contract, a work that earned him national prominence. He is a member of Casa da Empreita, where he continues to challenge himself and share his knowledge.

Sónia Mendez

Odete Dias
It is from the time when most girls stayed at home learning sewing, embroidery and taking care of the housework. At 15, she began working with her mother, and since then, it has become a part of her life, supplementing her income from the land. She has participated in fairs throughout the Algarve and elsewhere in the country and was part of the group of artisans who participated in the first editions of the famous Fatacil. Her favorite technique is the 9-branch work, with which she makes Moses baskets, bags, rugs, doormats, or whatever her imagination dictates.

Odete Dias

Valentina Silva
Weaving is a daily addiction. When she weaves Palm, she forgets everything else — all the stress of daily life. She enjoys teaching, and is hopeful for the future of weaving in the Algarve.

Valentina Silva

Françoise Lenet
French-Portuguese artisan. A former florist in Paris, he combines the art of palm knitting with his knowledge of flowers and plants. He explores the fusion between palm and ceramics and creates delicate pieces, full of harmony and sensitivity.

Françoise Lenet

Olimpia Cabrita
Born in Alte and resident in Monte Seco, Olímpia Cabrita is a master of an ancient technique that combines cane with palm mesh. She learned from her mother and neighbors and dedicates herself to this demanding craft with passion and precision. She likes challenges and is proud to have never found a piece that she could not make, being recognized for the perfection of her finishes.

Olimpia Cabrita

Eugénia Duarte (Geninha)
She enjoys innovating and imagining new models and applications in palm weave, and she loves making hats. She loves to teach and her main objective is to contribute so that the art of the enterprise is not lost.

Eugénia Duarte (Geninha)

Eugénia Gonçalves Duarte
Between France and her Algarve roots, Eugénia Duarte rediscovered in the enterprise the tradition that has always accompanied her. Today, at Casa da Empreita, she proudly shares this legacy and already transmits it to her granddaughter, ensuring that the art of palm lives on.

Eugénia Gonçalves Duarte

Florentina Guerreiro (Flor)
Born in Cerro Alto, in Parragil, Florinda Guerreiro discovered her passion for palm farming as a child, learning from her mother. Even during the years he lived in France, he kept his connection to this art alive. Back in Portugal, he enthusiastically dedicates himself to the creation of pieces recognized for their skill and perfection.

Florentina Guerreiro (Flor)

Noélia Santos
Noélia Sousa, born in Boliqueime, rediscovered in the enterprise a tradition that has accompanied her since childhood. At Casa da Empreita she enthusiastically shares this knowledge and the taste for conviviality between artisans.

Noélia Santos

Inácia Coelho
Born in Águas Frias, parish of Alte, Inácia Coelho learned the art of palm palm construction on her own initiative, after the age of 30, with her neighbors in Monte Seco, where she lived most of her adult life. He combines the tradition of the enterprise with machine sewing, a technique that he pioneered in a pioneering way. She is part of the original group of artisans who started Casa da Empreita .

Inácia Coelho

Almerinda Miguel (in memorium)
A master craftswoman, Almerinda Miguel started in the art of palm at the age of 8, learning from her mother and grandmother. Recognized for its mastery in the slat construction and in the techniques of 11 and 13 branches, it combined tradition and innovation in unique pieces. She was part of the group of founding artisans of Casa da Empreita. His dedication and knowledge remain as inspiration at Loulé Criativo.

Almerinda Miguel (in memorium)

Jorge Santos
Jorge Santos, known as the Master of Baracinha, learned since he was a child to create the cord that gives shape to the knitted pieces. He currently keeps this tradition alive, integrating together with his wife, the artisan Margarida Cortez, the collective of artisans of Casa da Empreita, where he dedicatedly shares the knowledge and culture of the territory.

Jorge Santos

Videos

Apresentação

Audios

Áudio Guia "Casa da Empreita"

Documents

Mapa Rede de Oficinas
Valorizar a Cultura e Identidade Local