Rare Stories
Stories, news and behind the scenes of Portuguese craft. What’s happening in the workshops, at the fairs and at Ra-Ro.

Portuguese wool blankets: cobertor de papa, manta lobeira and shepherd's blanket, what is the difference
The cobertor de papa is a churra wool blanket woven in Maçainhas, near Guarda; the manta lobeira and the shepherd's blanket are two versions of it. The Ecolã shepherd blanket comes from Manteigas a...
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Rainy nights in Portugal: mead, bitter honey and wool blankets
Heather honey mead, bitter honey from the Algarve and a cobertor de papa from Maçainhas: the Ra‑Ro winter kit for the first rainy nights, with serving tips, wool care and Christmas gift ideas.
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Cobertor de Papa: price, where to buy and how to spot the genuine one
A buyer's guide to the cobertor de papa: what it costs and why, where to buy the genuine blanket made in Maçainhas (Guarda), how to recognise it, shepherd's blanket versus manta lobeira, and how to...
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Cobertor de Papa: the shepherds' blanket that Maçainhas still weaves
A pure wool blanket, dense and almost waterproof, made in Maçainhas by one of the last crafts of its kind. The story of the genuine Cobertor de Papa from Beira Alta.
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