Revitalization of a small textile factory from the XIX century

Abstract

The cultural heritage of a region is a priceless asset in creating an identity and the definition of a unique future. Craftsmanship particularly that concerned with textile has been a constant tradition in the Minho region. Such environment has led to the creation of a textile industrial museum: Museum of Textile Industry of Bacia do Ave. Such heritage has been central to Father Airosa since the early days when, at the Instituto Monsenhor Airosa, by the end of 19th century, he decided to use the work in weaving as route for his rehabilitation project with girls from street. Even today his project endures and works as a school to form young girls that need help due to social reasons. This paper describes a work developed in a collaboration project between the Minho University and Instituto Monsenhor Airosa (IMA), having the Museum of Textile Industry of “Bacia do Ave” as a consulting partner. The objective is to reorganize the Institute weaving job-shop and create a museum with the XXI century Jacquard weavers loom brought from Lyon by Monsenhor Airosa. In this job-shop work, the fifty years Jacquard weavers loom still manufacture the famous industrial art. This paper emphasis is put on the job-shop reorganization that makes to order bedspread, face towel and table-cloth, napkin and raw cloth. The diversity and complexity of these products is small but exclusive that the Institute wants to spread in handcraft fairs and shops adopting repetitive production.