“Arts & Crafts Showcase” Marks International Day for Intangible Cultural Heritage in Downtown Coimbra

The “Montra das Artes & Ofícios” returns to downtown Coimbra on October 18, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., for a commemorative edition featuring 21 exhibitors showcasing various traditional arts and crafts. The initiative, organized by the Coimbra City Council, marks the International Day for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, celebrated on October 17, with a program that invites visitors to discover and experience artisanal knowledge and techniques through direct contact with the artisans themselves.

Throughout the day on Sunday, the 18th, on Ferreira Borges and Visconde da Luz streets, visitors will be able to explore products and pieces related to arts and crafts, watch live demonstrations, and participate in various hands-on craft-making activities. The initiative aims to highlight not only the final product but also the processes, techniques, and knowledge associated with artisanal production, as an expression of intangible cultural heritage.

Among the participatory initiatives, “Hands That Create Heritage” stands out. Taking place from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., it invites the public to try their hand at various artisanal techniques, working directly with the masters and custodians of this knowledge. Visitors will be able to weave a piece of Almalaguês fabric, start an embroidery stitch, mold clay, paint a piece of Coimbra pottery, or carve a piece of wood. Participation is open to all and does not require registration; participants will contribute to the creation of a collective work.

Also in the morning, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., artisans from Arzila, in collaboration with the Arzila Folkloric and Ethnographic Group, will lead the creation of a community mat. Visitors will be invited to help arrange the bunho reeds, contributing to the creation of a piece that revives one of Arzila’s most iconic traditional crafts. At the end of the day, the mat will be displayed as a symbol of knowledge sharing and the intergenerational transmission of intangible cultural heritage.

These two events are part of the program dedicated to the theme “Living Cultures” and aim to bring the community closer to traditional knowledge, reinforcing the importance of its preservation and continuity and creating opportunities for the transmission of this knowledge across generations.

The “Montra das Artes & Ofícios” event also features participation from the municipality’s community organizations, including a folk dance group and three concertina ensembles. At 11:00 a.m., the “As Tecedeiras de Almalaguês” Folkloric and Ethnographic Group will lead a parade and present an ethnographic and folkloric performance.

During the afternoon, the pedestrian zone between Largo da Portagem and Praça 8 de Maio will host three concertina street performances: at 12:00 p.m., featuring the “Grupo Foles e Cantorias de Santa Clara” from Alcancemelodias – Concertina Association; at 3:00 p.m., featuring the Sons de Casconhe Concertina Group; and at 4:30 p.m., featuring the Os Sempre na Paródia de Coimbra Concertina Group, from the Os Sempre na Paródia de Coimbra Artistic and Cultural Association.

“Montra das Artes & Crafts” is organized by the Coimbra City Council, in partnership with the Agency for the Promotion of Downtown Coimbra, CoimbraMaisFuturo, and CEARTE—Center for Professional Training in Crafts and Heritage