It has been announced that the Municipal Council of Felgueiras has submitted a request to register the traditional production of ‘Filé de Felgueiras’ in the National Registry of Certified Traditional Artisanal Productions. This request has received a positive opinion from the Advisory Committee for the Certification of Traditional Artisanal Productions, as stated in the notice.
The publication adds that “any person, individual or collective, with legitimacy to do so, may oppose the registration within 20 days by submitting a duly substantiated statement to the IEFP (Institute of Employment and Professional Training).”
According to the registration request, Filé de Felgueiras is “a unique artisanal product with a strong and singular image, easily identifiable among Portuguese artisanal textiles.”
The Municipality believes that the certification process of Filé de Felgueiras could be the driving force for the recovery and development of this artisanal activity in the region, providing conditions for the production to reach an economically viable level and preventing its disappearance.
Filé de Felgueiras is a lace or embroidery made on a handcrafted net stretched on a frame. This net serves as a support where the embroidery is later executed, similar to a sieve, featuring floral, vegetal, geometric, and figurative motifs.
Currently, as stated in the notice, there are few people in Felgueiras dedicated to this activity and its commercialization, as it is not considered profitable.
However, the local authority notes that “filé remains an important element of collective memory and identity for many places and parishes in Felgueiras.”
