Friday we spent a leisurely afternoon exploring the municipality of Portalegre. Portalegre is one of the largest cities in our district, and is made up of 10 surrounding parishes, or villages. It was founded in 1259 by the king of Portugal, Alfonso III and rose to status of "city" in 1550. It was an important economic centre and was known for it's manufacturing of beautiful clothe. As you may know we are located close to the Spanish border, so in ancient times this city was invaded many times over by the Spaniards,
because… when you have one country who doesn't want more! Anyhoo! We had a great day making our way through the narrow pedestrian friendly lanes, snapping endless photos, admiring the fortified walls, castle, churches, and many other architecturally beautiful buildings. Upon the suggestion of a fellow in the tourism office we also decided to check out the Tapestry Museum. Knowing that Portalegre has a history of textiles we thought it would be worth a visit, happily we were not disappointed! Portalegre tapestries have had worldwide recognition since 1952, and the Portalegre weavers are considered to be the best in the world. Every tapestry is based on an original piece of art, more than 200 Portuguese and foreign artists have had their work translated into Portalegre tapestries. The finished products are breath taking! Hopefully our photos due them justice!
 |
| This is almost a work of art on its own! Yet this is only a sample of the over 7000 colours of yarns that are used in the Tapestries! |
 |
| Tapestry based on a painting by Portuguese artist Joao Tavares |
 |
| Tapestry of Malangatana painting |
 |
| The Cathedral of Portalegre is a national monument. Construction started in 1556 and was completed in the early 17th century. |
No comments:
Post a Comment