Weavers of Soutelo: a tribute to an ancestral technique.

In the heart of northern Portugal, where traditions remain strong thanks to the spirit of its people, the village of Soutelo do Douro, near Chaves, pays homage to the local weavers with a mural as colorful as the creations of yesteryear.

Designed by the painter Emanuel Teixeira, the colorful artwork depicts the daily lives of women who dedicated their lives to weaving, a tradition of Soutelo, immortalized on the walls of the Subprefecture headquarters. The initiative, promoted by the Union of Parishes of Soutelo and Seara Velha, in the municipality of Chaves, aims to honor all the local weavers who, over generations, have preserved this ancestral art.

The hand weaving technique used by the women of Soutelo for making clothes, carpets, and other types of fabric has influences dating back to the Romans and the legions that settled in the Tâmega Valley more than 2000 years ago, erecting fortifications whose remains can still be seen in cities like Chaves.

In hand weaving, the fabric is the result of interlacing the threads through the warp (vertical threads on the loom) and the weft (horizontal threads). The stages in fabric production are spinning, dyeing, warping, and weaving.

An ancient technique, weaving remains alive in Portugal today, thanks to the hands of its artisans, who use it to produce true works of art, reflecting times gone by, crafting the fabrics of the present.