Made in Portugal

Glassware from Marinha Grande

As early as the 15th century, an oven was installed in Marinha Grande to help repair glassware from the Monastery of Batalha.

The glass was produced by incinerating natural products with sodium carbonate.

In 1748, due to a lack of firewood, the Irishman John Beare moved the factory he operated in Coina to Marinha Grande, thus benefiting from its proximity to the pine forests of Leiria.

The abundance of raw materials and fuel led to the growth of the glass-making industry in the region. In 1769, the Englishman Guilherme Stephens, carrying a permit from King John V and the full support of the Marquis of Pombal, purchased the factory and brought new life and prestige into the operation by applying the technique of glass blowing. This turned Marinha Grande into the Capital of Glass Making.

The first glass-making factory – the Royal Glass Factory of Marinha Grande – was created in 1769 by the Marquis of Pombal in support of Guilherme Stephens.

MAFIL Cutlery

Founded in 1917 in Guimarães, MAFIL is today one of the largest producers of cutlery in Europe.

Especially prized is its silverware, which cements the company's tradition of quality and prestige, where craftsmanship, knowledge and the art of Portuguese cutlery-making is supremely applied.

The Ceramics Bordallo Pinheiro

Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro is one of the foremost figures of 19th century Portuguese culture, with a remarkable body of work, notably in the areas of comics, caricatures and ceramics.

In 1884, he began producing ceramics at his Fábrica de Faianças (Faiance Factory) in Caldas da Rainha, creating highly elaborate pieces of great artistic quality and creativity. These included azulejos, panels, pots, centrepieces, jars, bathroom basins, vases, plates, perfume bottles, pitchers and gigantic animals.

His notable work in ceramics earned him gold medals in several international exhibitions (Madrid, Antwerp, Paris and St. Louis, USA).