Category: Civil Architecture > Museum
District: Faro > Alcoutim > Pereiro
The Blacksmith's Museum is located in the small village of Pereiro, in the municipality of Alcoutim, a locality that preserves its mountain essence. Nestled within the intricate cluster of village houses, the museum building stands out with its unique presence. Its shale stone facade is adorned with iron figures depicting a peasant woman and a donkey, evoking the region's rural life.
The restoration of this space allowed the building, once a forgotten workshop, to become one of the village's most symbolic elements, naturally integrating into the local urban landscape and inviting the careful gaze of passers-by.
This museum was created with the aim of honoring the old blacksmith's workshop, a workspace that had been inactive for over forty years. The blacksmith's craft was of vital importance to Pereiro, to Alcoutim, and to the entire northeast Algarve region.
The blacksmith's work was not limited to producing agricultural tools. This master was also a multifaceted figure, sometimes acting as a "curious" one in the art of treating certain ailments in people and animals. Furthermore, he created numerous everyday and domestic objects, such as beds, washbasins, and bolts. A particular tradition involved the crafting of rings made from horseshoe nails, offered by boys to their sweethearts as a gesture of affection.
The blacksmith's workshop was, par excellence, a space for male socializing in the village, where the latest news was shared and local matters debated, functioning as a true community social hub.
The journey through the Blacksmith's Museum invites an immersion into the life of the past. The space has been carefully reconstructed and filled with authentic objects and memories from the time when the workshop was in full operation. Upon entering, one can glimpse and almost hear the rhythmic sounds of hammering and the clinking of tools, or imagine the murmur of conversations and the warmth of the fire.
Inside, the house retains its original characteristics, with stone floors and walls, and a cane ceiling, just as was common in the early 20th century. The museum collection, though concise, is rich in meaning, with pieces that tell stories of the craft. There is also a documentary that displays memories related to the art of iron and fire, allowing visitors to reflect on a social and professional reality distant from the present one. Informative panels delve deeper into the history of iron and its connection to the Alcoutim region, including prehistoric archaeological remains that prove its local ancestry.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 37.4460421,-7.5966352
Coordinates DMS: 37°26'45.8"N 07°35'47.9"W
Weather Pereiro
On-duty Pharmacy Pereiro
