Traditional Portuguese Fabric

Chita de Alcobaça is the most widely recognised printed cotton fabric in Portugal and, to a large extent, represents the more than 500-year history between Europe and India. The production of chitas was strongly opposed across Europe and was eventually banned. "The first manufacture of printed cotton in Portugal was born from an association between an Englishman and a Dutchman in 1690. In Europe, this manufacturing existed in countries such as England, France, Holland and Germany. It was believed, however, that the tradition of Alcobaça cloth making stretched back to the 15th century." - in Suplemento do JL, N.º 819, Ano XXI.