Clutching a gnarled walking stick, Alexandre Pinto Ribeiro surveyed his Gestaçô workshop. It was 1902, a pivotal year for the village and for Ribeiro himself. He was about to introduce a revolutionary technique to the age-old craft of walking stick and umbrella handle making: folding. Gestaçô, nestled between the Marão and Montemuro mountains, was known for its handcrafted bengalas (walking sticks), unique in all of Portugal. Ribeiro’s innovation involved softening wood strips in boiling water, then folding the ends with a metal bar. This seemingly simple change saved material and created a superior, more durable product. Gestaçô’s bengalas, already prized, became even more sought after. Orders poured in from Porto, São João da Madeira, and Braga. The folding technique allowed for intricate designs. Ribeiro and his fellow artisans incorporated animal heads, polished cherry wood, and inlays of mother-of-pearl, silver, and even gold. Each bengala became a work of art, a testament to Gestaçô’s craftsmanship. The village thrived. Sadly, changing fashions saw the decline of the walking stick as a men’s accessory. The rise of plastic umbrella handles dealt another blow, forcing many Gestaçô workshops to close. Yet, the tradition didn’t die. The resurgence of the Queima das Fitas, a student festival, breathed new life into the craft. Every year, around 30,000 university students use walking sticks from Gestaçô. Ribeiro’s legacy lives on in every elegantly crafted bengala, a symbol of Gestaçô’s enduring artistry.
Gestaçô
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