In the same family for over two hundred years, São Lourenço do Barrocal is a farmstead hotel, winery and spa, set in 780-hectares of Portugal’s unspoilt Alentejo. New for this autumn, the property is set to launch a three-night ‘Craft and Culture’ experience which invites you to pay tribute to the region’s cultural heritage and time-honoured traditions, through a curation of local artisan-led experiences, ready to get crafty?
Taking you on a journey through Barrocal’s deep-rooted history, local historian Luís Lobato Faria will begin the experience by sharing centuries-old Alentejan tales as he leads a guided estate tour, highlighting São Lourenço do Barrocal’s extensive connections and diligent preservation of its heritage. Subsequent days will see a pottery masterclass, floristry workshop and visit to century-old textile factory, Fábrica Alentejana de Lanifícos that still creates original, handwoven wool products today.
POTTERY | Recognised as one of Portugal’s most revered pottery centres, São Pedro do Corval has long been home to families of master potters who have dedicated their lives to a craft that dates back to the prehistoric period. Relish in the chance to learn from a handful of the region’s greatest artisans, such as local ceramist Hélène Falé who will lead a masterclass on the traditional Alentejan pottery style. Take to the potter’s wheel to design your very own terracotta piece, before getting crafty with the decorative process using a traditional sgraffito technique, where layers of dry paint are scratched through to create contrasting patterns and textures.
TEXTILES | The following day will encompass a visit to Fábrica Alentejana de Lanifícios, a 100-year-old textile factory in Reguengos de Monsaraz, an area famed for its intricate woven blankets that adorn homes across the country. Helmed by designers Margarida Adónis and António Carreteiro, the factory produces high quality wool rugs and blankets, using coloured merino wool that affectionately mirror the colours of their surroundings in rich hues of oranges, reds, and browns. Internationally awarded for design and quality, you will have the rare opportunity to see local artisans working the ancient looms to create both losango and espiga designs.
FLORISTRY WORKSHOP | The final day is led by local florist Catarina Cunha who invites you to learn the secrets of flower arranging. The workshop begins with a journey through the estate where Barrocal’s bountiful greens and wildflowers make for unique botanical creations as you create individual arrangements filled with foraged findings such as thistle, olive branches, wild carrot flower and daisies. The fruits of your labour can be used as a distinctive table centrepiece for a private, candle-lit supper served from the estate’s farm-to-table restaurant, and replicated once home, reminiscent of your magical time at São Lourenço do Barrocal.
