Menorca Traditions
Menorca's 1784 census records twenty-one silversmiths. The island's gold and silversmithery took off in the nineteenth century with the workshops that made silver purses, a tradition which has given rise to a costume jewellery industry with a considerable craft tradition, creating limited-edition pieces in all sorts of materials and combinations. They can be found in the bazaars in Ciutadella harbour and Calasfons (Es Castell).
Potteries are commonly called gerreries in Menorca, from the making of jars (gerres). Traditional ceramics include different types of pitchers; de barca (boat-shaped), de cul estret (narrow-bottomed), castanyes (chestnut shaped bottles), bottles, clay pipes with reed stems, cadufs (buckets for wells and waterwheels), ribelles (bowls), watering cans, feeding troughs, plant pots, etc. There is an infinite number of objects made from the clay fired in the kilns of workshops such as Arturo Gener's gerreria in Ciutadella, or the one belonging to the brothers Lora Buzón on the Ponent quay in Maó.
Menorca's modern footwear industry, which
thrives on exports of a large part of its production to numerous
countries, had its origins in nineteenth century family workshops.
Its products can be purchased directly from factories in Alaior,
Ciutadella, and Ferreries, where they offer the latest models
from Menorcan designers, fruit of technique, tradition, and modernity.
In addition to such quality footwear, in the street markets you
can find albarques, the typical Menorcan peasant shoe.
Menorca guide