Weaving is one of the first and oldest traditional industries of the archipelago, as well as an effective response to the limitations caused by insularity. The art of loom, in wool and linen or cotton, is thorough, time-consuming and demanding. The beautiful bedspreads, quilts, patchwork carpets, regional attires, blankets, straps or doilies with geometric designs that stylize traditional decorative motifs, reflects all of the mastery and art of the Azorean weavers.
It was in the island of Santa Maria that the patchwork quilts gave substance to the rural and popular character of weaving and it was in the island of São Jorge, since the 16th century, that was created one of the best-known manifestations of popular art – the famous bedspreads in “Ponto Alto”, that favors geometric motifs and natural or bright colors, typical of the Azorean folklore.
