The municipality announced on Monday the submission of all documentation for the application “Process of Making the Arraiolos Carpets” for inclusion on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The advancement of the process, namely the submission of the application to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, now depends on a decision from the National Commission, according to the local government.
The national commission will determine the timing when, among various Portuguese applications under review, the application for the Process of Making the Arraiolos Carpets will be presented to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The proposing entity noted that the submission concluded “a long process of investigation, study, and development of safeguarding measures,” involving community interviews and the production of a documentary.
Sílvia Pinto, the Mayor of Arraiolos, highlighted that the making of this tapestry is “a centuries-old heritage” of the region, with the application aiming to enhance this “ancient craft.”
She emphasized that although the municipality is the proposer, the application represents the people of the Arraiolos region and its embroiderers.
The mayor explained the application includes “proposals for safeguarding the craftsmanship,” such as conducting training sessions on traditional methods and promoting this art form.
“Challenging contemporary artists to get involved is something we have already been doing and see as an added value,” she mentioned, referring to another proposal included in the application dossier.
Sílvia Pinto recalled that the Arraiolos carpet already has an interpretive center in the town, which offers socio-educational space and temporary exhibitions, allowing visitors to experience the carpet-making process.
The application file also includes a study by historian José Calado, which “clearly substantiates Arraiolos as the place where the carpet originated,” according to the mayor.
Regarding the number of Arraiolos carpet embroiderers still active in the region, the mayor indicated there are about 100 people who can make the carpet from start to finish.
The process of making the Arraiolos Carpet was listed in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2021.
References to the Arraiolos Carpet, embroidered with wool on canvas, date back to the late 16th century (1598), originating in the Alentejan town of the same name, settled in the early century by Moors and Jews expelled from Lisbon’s Moorish quarter by King Manuel I.
Historical research indicates that these families found abundant herds of fine wool and diverse plants necessary for dyeing and manufacturing the canvases on which the carpets are hand-made, using the oblique cross-stitch technique known as “Arraiolos Embroidery.”
