Craftsmanship
A passion for traditional craftwork
Vigo’s craft tradition remains intact as a tribute to times past, where the utensils we use as decoration today were used for working. Materials such as leather, wood and ceramics, and crafts such as bookbinding, lace or working with precious metals, take on new forms under the influence of ancient arts.
Vigo’s Old Town has artisanal shops where you can buy a traditional hand-woven basket or modern earrings made of paper. You’ll find all kinds of jewellery and enamelwork, but what you can’t miss is Vigo’s basketwork, one of the city’s oldest professions.
There’s an ancient Galician popular song that says: “somos probes cesteiros, cestos que compoñer... (we’re poor basket weavers, baskets to repair...)”.
These traditional baskets were once used to store fish or garden produce, and were woven from various materials, such as reeds or oak wood. Cesteiros Street was once the home of 20 artisans who worked together, and today these baskets offer a fabulous image, stacked in front of the shops’ doors.
Cesteiros Street, a definite must, is in Vigo’s Old Town. Exploring its winding streets and stopping to admire its beautiful buildings will transport you to a much older Vigo. Don’t miss the opportunity of having tapas in the Old Town, always tastier if accompanied by a glass of Albariño wine, with designation of origin from the Rías Baixas.
You can see the complete list of Vigo’s artisans in: www.galegadeartesans.org/