Documentary “Viana do Alentejo: Land of Clay' , by António Menezes

A documentary based on the testimonies of those who have been and still are connected to this ancient art in the village of Viana do Alentejo.

Fragments of pottery from the Roman Period, recently found, show the longevity of the art of pottery in Viana do Alentejo, Portugal. The clay was used mainly to produce utilitarian pieces. Viana was famous for the quality of its basins.

In the early years of the 20th century, a local visionary, agricultural engeneer and veterinary named António Isidoro de Sousa, founded the Pottery School (Escola de Olaria) to enhance the technical and artistic training of the potters’ children. Visual artists that later in life became famous, like Julio Resende and Aníbal Alcino , were hired to teach the children, assisted by master potter Francisco Lagarto.

This way, the school not only instructed the potters that are still active, but also trained great ceramics artists that came to show the art of ceramics and pottery of Viana in the whole of Portugal.

Today, a professional pottery training course, supervised by the youngest master potter active, is training possible future potters and ceramists.