Pottery Place

The current restoration project of the old Fornos (pottery kilns) da Cruz de Pedra building, which aims to preserve Guimarães’ pottery heritage, is progressing well. The initiative involves setting up a Museum Centre as a reference for local industrial archaeology, along with the incorporation of Pottery Studios.

Here, the aim is to create pedagogical conditions for the training and practice of this type of handicraft, preserving the legacy of the Machado, Rainha, and Réus families, renowned for their longstanding pottery tradition, as well as honouring Joaquim Oliveira, a craftsman who, for many years, was the creator of the traditional Cantarinha dos Namorados, icon of the Vimaranense pottery.

The Fornos da Cruz de Pedra work is in its final phase, with only some interior finishes remaining, namely doors, skirting boards, wall cladding and furniture as well as the landscaping.