Aldeias do Xisto at Maison & Objet International Fair and La Parisienne race

Paris, França

In September, in the French capital, the Aldeias do Xisto proved themselves to the international audience as a destination of choice for living, investing and creating.

Portugal has never been so sought after by the international public because of its nature, culture, heritage and because of the ideal conditions for investing and developing projects. Aldeais do Xisto contain all this in the Central region of Portugal. An authentic region, in full social and economic development, which is committed to sustainable tourism and which has a welcoming environment and artistic, scientific and business ties suited to the demands of different audiences and markets. A choice destination for living, investing and creating. This is Aldeias do Xisto’s offer in their participation at the International Maison et Objet Fair and the legendary La Parisienne race.

Maison et Objet, 6-10 September 2019
Hall 5A - Sector: UNIQUE & ECLECTIC SIGNATURE - Stand: Q34
The Aldeias do Xisto have promoted a collaborative culture between the region, design and artisanal know-how, through projects involving craft workshops, universities and designers. Starting from immersion and inspiration in the context of the villages, objects are created that are representative of cultural identity, the values of the region and the Portuguese spirit. These objects illustrate a new way of living, of being, a more ecological philosophy, governed by ethical principles. Some of these objects will be presented during the great world fair Maison et Objet, which has recognised the value of the Aldeias do Xisto craft-design products. As a result, the brand's stand will be located in a very prestigious area of the Fair: the Signature space: Unique & Eclectic.

La Parisienne, 8 September 2019
The legendary "La Parisienne" race will bring together more than 25,000 women in an event to raise funds for the fight against breast cancer. The values of sport and physical and spiritual well-being are central to the offer of active tourism in the Aldeias do Xisto, so the brand could not miss out on being associated with this event. The Aldeias do Xisto invited, through a contest on Facebook by Cap Magellan, 50 participants to run in the brand’s colours. The whole team will be present, at its own stand, to welcome the participants and promote the destination to the Parisians.

Aldeias do Xisto Laboratory – Creative imersion

There is a welcoming and immersive atmosphere in the Aldeias do Xisto, as well as a technical capacity that allows for experimentation or the development of business and research projects. To discover and learn, in a family or by yourself, you can book workshops in weaving, woodworking, ceramics and design, through the Bookinxisto platform, or more scientific activities, such as the identification of local flora and fauna, or even those that relate to the villages’ local offerings, such as traditional goats cheese or bread baked in a wood-fired oven.

For business and research projects, the Aldeias do Xisto have a network of skill and knowledge centres, physical and human resources, a solid network of specialised partners, as well as access to national and European financial support programmes.

The Aldeias do Xisto are a brand destination that, over the past few years, have managed to establish a unique enclave within the Central Region, and in the country as a whole, based on tourism, innovation and intuition. An ideal choice for living, investing and creating. They have done so by always seeking out what is most distinctive and authentic in the landscape and communities, attracting investment and opening the door to projects that start innovating from the very essence of these places. The relationship with nature, with the land, and with the people has been the guiding principle of this activity, which seeks to revitalise the area based on its identity.

Through several commercial, arts and entrepreneurial endeavours, Aldeias do Xisto have outlined ways to transform ideas into action and resources into returns. In short, to make the local culture an asset for economic and social development.

Re-creating the culture of places with the people who live there is the thrust of the Aldeias do Xisto’ plans to produce social and economic value in the region. We are exploring our cultural identity, drawing upon our creativity and our know-how. We can make this area a living laboratory, open to new thoughts and people capable of establishing connections to transform the social fabric and giving rise to new ways of doing, acting and being.

Aldeias do Xisto Craft

The Craft+Design Aldeias do Xisto projects involve craft workshops, universities, design teams and experts in social areas, who are invited to immerse themselves in the real life of the villages and draw inspiration from them to create objects that are meaningful to memory and cultural identity, the values of the region and the Portuguese spirit.
The Craft+Design Aldeias do Xisto projects are tasked with bringing together sets of actors and frontiers of knowledge around nature and culture, in fields as diverse as history, ethnography, culinary, craft, design, traditional arts and crafts, handiwork, digital production, ecology and audio-visual, in order to conceptualise and produce goods and services in the local context capable of fulfilling contemporary demand. To generate a new set of products and services, prototypes and experiences that, besides enriching our current operations, also allow us to establish new commercial, strategic and personal links with other social, cultural and economic segments, thereby enhancing the Aldeias do Xisto region.

Aldeias do Xisto Craft Partners