The Artisans' Route, presented today in Chaves, aims to pay tribute to those who maintain and modernise the art of working with clay, wood or stone and preserve the cultural identity of Alto Tâmega and Barroso.

The Alto Tâmega Region Development Association (ADRAT), which promotes the project, said in a statement sent to Lusa that "craftsmanship is a living testimony to the evolution of human ingenuity over the centuries" and that Alto Tâmega and Barroso "is rich in craft manifestations".

It stressed that the route is "a tribute to the creative hands that, over decades, have been shaping and preserving the cultural identity of the territory".

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The project, which is under construction and aims to promote crafts, already includes several artisans, such as Marta Malheiro who created Barro Alto, in Chaves, and makes ceramic pieces, inspired by the traditional black pottery of Vilar de Nantes, adding a contemporary touch.

The Association for the Development of Vilar de Nantes (ADVN) - Barro Negro, which wants to keep the ancestral practice of black clay alive, has also joined the project, as has Dinis Cunha, an artisan who promotes the art of basketry in the region.

Paula Chaves, a graduate in Product Design, returned to Chaves to join her father's company "O Marceneiro", a factory and live workshop, where they create different pieces of furniture, while Joaquim Pio uses the remains of firewood to create small miniature figures.

In Boticas, José Marques has the Arte e Lar project and creates pieces in which he combines wood with other types of raw materials, and Joana Caldelas makes jewellery from materials such as cork, steel or natural stones.

In Montalegre, the Arte da Terra workshop is installed, an exhibition and work space, with pieces on display by its three founders - José Teixeira, Maria Carvalho and Carolina Garfo - and where clay is the main character, and, in the Oficina do Burel, the former music teacher Carlos Medeiros creates exclusive items for children and adults.

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José Gonçalves has a passion for wood and makes miniatures of agricultural utensils or articles of Transmontano folklore, in Valpaços, a municipality where, after several years abroad working as an airline pilot, Nair Tete opened Terra Rústica, a shop where she produces soap from extra virgin olive oil and plants from the region.

António Mesquita, in turn, dedicates himself to the trade of saddler, working with leather fibres and straw wefts.

In Vila Pouca de Aguiar, Óscar Rodrigues sculpts wooden logs with chainsaws, Raul Oliveira carves granite creating decorative elements such as sundials, club emblems or garden benches, and Guilhermino Rodrigues builds, with different types of wood, replicas of cathedrals from Europe and the United States of America that he has on display in a small museum in his house.

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ADRAT said that "we live in a scenario of constant mutation, where traditional foundations and ancestral values seem to vanish in the fabric of collective memory, distant from the routines of everyday life".

"In this context, craftsmanship still stands as a powerful anchor, reminding us of the richness of our cultural heritage, an essential part of our uniqueness and identity", it justified.

The Artisans' Route is included in the LOCAL CRAFT UP project - Leader Cooperation, supported by the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2020, whose main objective is to value local craft products.

This valorisation is being carried out through the cooperation of local action groups (LAGs), involving their associates and the producers and artisans of the regions involved, through demonstration activities, knowledge sharing, promotion of craft production and exchange between the partner regions.

The route was presented during a seminar, which also included a craft exhibition.

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