Olaria de São Pedro do Corval

São Pedro do Corval is a village of around two thousand people with something like two dozen working potteries, which makes it the largest concentration in Portugal. The clay comes from nearby deposits and the ware is functional Alentejo pottery - water jars, bowls, casseroles, plates, the alguidar mixing basin - thrown on the wheel and then painted freehand with flowers, birds and geometric bands in blue, yellow, green and brown on white slip, with each workshop's hand recognisable. Several potters work with the doors open onto the street and visitors can watch throwing and painting without arrangement, which is unusual. The village has been the subject of a municipal effort to keep the trade going against competition from imported ware, with a pottery centre and courses. Monsaraz on its hill is a few kilometres away and the two are visited together.

What you actually see

• The workshops - around two dozen potteries in a village of two thousand people.
• The throwing and painting - both visible from the street at several workshops.
• The Alentejo ware - functional jars, bowls and alguidares in freehand-painted patterns.
• The individual hands - each workshop's painting recognisably its own.

When to go

Year-round. Two to three hours. Weekdays during working hours - most workshops close at weekends and over lunch.

Honest expectations

Workshops close on Sundays and often on Saturday afternoons. Prices are low, but large pieces are hard to carry home. The village has almost nothing else - no notable buildings or restaurants beyond a couple. Summer heat is severe.

Nearby

Monsaraz is on the hill east; Reguengos and its blanket workshop are west.