The Art of Weaving – from Almalaguês to Coimbra

Almalaguês, part of Coimbra’s council, just 12 km from the center of town, is a unique weaving center that places this small village in the panorama of Portuguese crafts. In Almalaguês, the majority of women dedicated themselves to the art of weaving, on their looms, often to sell to the “Ladies of Coimbra” and at fairs in the region and, thus, support the House and the Family. There were also many brides who went to Almalaguês to buy their trousseaus.

But, going back even further in time…the origins of Almalaguês Weaving date back to the 11th century to the founder of the village, the Arab Zoleiman Almalaki; The first products using Almalaguês weaving date back to the 13th century. This technique, with a clear Arabic influence, consists of embroidered weaving, in linen or cotton, in which the most diverse natural or stylized geometric motifs are meticulously reproduced, using looms similar to Persian looms. With the emergence of the textile industry, mechanical looms came to “replace” the Almalaguês Weavers.

Not wanting to let this ancestral art die, the “Herança do Passado” Association emerged in 2008, an initiative by Maria Emília Pereira. Maria Emília brought together the old weavers of Almalaguês and gave them back the art of weaving, preserving Almalaguês Weaving. Through craft fairs and exhibitions, weavers have the opportunity to (re)bring weaving closer to the region, exhibiting and selling their products, such as backpacks, espadrilles, cloth slippers, coats or vests.

At the end of 2023, the Municipality of Coimbra, in partnership with the “Herança do Passado”, opened an activity space aimed at the exhibition, dissemination, promotion and valorization of Weaving: numbers 100-102 on “Rua Direita” in downtown Coimbra. Experience workshops and the dissemination and marketing of works resulting from this beautiful art, that of weaving, will take place here.

The space, open to the public from Monday to Saturday, from 10am to 5pm, promises to keep alive the traditions that are part of our Identity.