On day 2 of my trip I stumbled (literally - the streets are unevenly cobbled, and I'm not known for my balance) into a goldmine of information and history about tapetes Arraiolos. My visit to the Museum and Workshops of the Artes Decorativas Portuguesas was phenomenal. Tucked into a historic palace just behind the Largo Portas do Sol (Square of the Gates of the Sun, one of seven Moorish gates to the city left over from medieval times), the Museum and its accompanying workshops are literally minutes from the famous Castelo Sao Jorge. But forget the castelo, I say. Or, rather, I did.
What a treasure trove I found in this museum! I spent three hours crawling around on the floor photographing the Museu collection of rugs in situ (usually beneath impressive 17th and 18th century furniture in almost no light) and studying the almost 20 rugs ranging from the 17th to the 19th century. I then took a tour of the workshops - only six of the eighteen workshops were on the tour. The workshops focus on preserving traditional crafts using traditional methods. AMAZING. The tapetes Arraiolos master was not on site; given the reduced demand for rugs after the Great Recession and the excessive increase in export taxes, the master works on an on-demand basis. However, the curators gave me a special tour of the reproduction rugs stored in the warehouse and even stayed well after closing to discuss the changes in techniques and methods used in the workshop. This is a not-to-be-missed stop on the Arraiolos pilgrimage tour!
For those of you interested in a virtual tour, visit www.fress.pt. You can also see videos from the workshops on the Museum's Facebook page: #MuseuArtesDecorativasFress
What a treasure trove I found in this museum! I spent three hours crawling around on the floor photographing the Museu collection of rugs in situ (usually beneath impressive 17th and 18th century furniture in almost no light) and studying the almost 20 rugs ranging from the 17th to the 19th century. I then took a tour of the workshops - only six of the eighteen workshops were on the tour. The workshops focus on preserving traditional crafts using traditional methods. AMAZING. The tapetes Arraiolos master was not on site; given the reduced demand for rugs after the Great Recession and the excessive increase in export taxes, the master works on an on-demand basis. However, the curators gave me a special tour of the reproduction rugs stored in the warehouse and even stayed well after closing to discuss the changes in techniques and methods used in the workshop. This is a not-to-be-missed stop on the Arraiolos pilgrimage tour!
For those of you interested in a virtual tour, visit www.fress.pt. You can also see videos from the workshops on the Museum's Facebook page: #MuseuArtesDecorativasFress
Rebekah. Its' so fun to read about your Portugal adventure! I can't wait to see some pictures too. After reading your post last night I actually had a dream that I met someone who was interested in Arraiolos. I can't remember who it was I met in that dream, but I do remember telling them all about my amazing friend Rebekah. (: I look forward to hearing more about your trip. Stay safe!
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