Towns and Villages

Standing in the midst of gentle, fertile valleys, Gondomar is famous for its goldsmith's work, an activity that has been carried out here for several centuries and is believed to date back as far as the time of the Visigoths and Celts. The origin of this activity is directly related with the gold mines that used to be found dotted around the region and were closed more than two centuries ago.

Of the many different articles produced, the most beautiful are naturally those in gold and silver filigree, whose delicate and complex openwork designs are thought to derive from the aesthetic and artistic influences of the Moors in the Iberian Peninsula. These rich and original hand-made pieces form an indispensable part of the ornate regional costume worn by the minhotas (the girls of the Minho province).