A luxurious porcelain plate for bread and butter inspired by the famous Castelo Branco - Vista Alegre embroidery

The Vista Alegre factory was the first industrial unit dedicated to porcelain production in Portugal. The determination of its founder, José Ferreira Pinto Basto, contributed to the huge success of the brand worldwide. José Ferreira Pinto Basto began building the company with the acquisition of the Ermida farm, located near the town of Ílhavo, on the Aveiro stream in 1812. In 1816. The entrepreneur acquired the Vista Alegre chapel at public auction, as well as the surrounding land on which he later built the Vista Alegre factory.

This is how it all began and continues to this day. And what do the modern years look like?

In 1985, the company opened the Vista Alegre Art and Development Centre (Centro de Arte e Desenvolvimento da Empresa - CADE) to encourage the creation of new works and decorations, and to promote training in painting and sculpture. In the late 1980s, Vista Alegre's works were exhibited in relevant international exhibitions, at venues such as the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Royal Palace of Milan, which definitely contributed to spreading the brand's reputation worldwide.

In 1997, Vista Alegre's operating income almost doubled following its merger with the ceramics group Cerexport. In May 2001. The merger of Vista Alegre Group and Atlantis Group brought exclusive glassware and crystal back into the company, resulting in the largest tableware group in Portugal and the sixth largest group in the world in this sector, Vista Alegre Group (VAA Group).

In 2009. The VAA Group became part of the Visabeira Group's portfolio, after that company made a public offer to acquire the representative share capital of the VAA Group. Today, Vista Alegre is more than a simple industrial unit. It is also part of Portuguese heritage, boasting buildings of undeniable architectural interest and a repository of social and artistic memories essential to the Portuguese identity.

What can we find in Vista Alegre's very wide range?

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The factory produces exclusive porcelain tableware, decorative pieces, gifts, hotel articles, high-quality glass and crystal and 18/10 stainless steel cutlery. In addition to using the most production techniques, the porcelain factory also employs 17 hand painters who are responsible for decorating the pieces produced. Offering products in a wide range of styles, from classic to contemporary, the brand appeals to a wide range of conscious consumers.

A modern heir to a long cultural tradition, Vista Alegre has been able to embrace contemporary values that are reflected in countless collections created by prestigious international designers such as Carsten Gollnick, Sam Baron, Karim Rashid, Joana Vasconcelos, Roberto Chichorro and Christian Lacroix and many others.

What is the complex process of porcelain production?

Porcelain can be made according to different processes, depending on the type of product and the intended characteristics. Hollow pieces, such as tea and coffee pots, are made in the ceramics area using a technique known as moulding. Moulding involves pouring liquid porcelain clay, also known as slip, into a plaster mould. The entire moulding process will depend on the absorption capacity of the plaster and time slip remains inside the mould. The mould is emptied as soon as the clay layer has reached the desired thickness to remove excess slip. Once dry, the piece can finally be removed from the mould. Complex pieces, such as sculptures, often have to be produced as separate parts that are then glued together. This technique requires a great deal of experience and skill of the craftsmen involved to ensure the quality of the final product.

Flat pieces, cups and symmetrical pieces are produced using a special moulding process in which plastic porcelain clay is placed inside a clay mould and pressed against its surface by a rotating metal head. In keeping with the Vista Alegre school of painting's tradition of producing works of the highest quality, hand-painting is reserved for works of high artistic and commercial value.

Based on specialised, highly skilled artisans, Vista Alegre is one of the few ceramic manufactories to offer a fully operational hand-painting workshop, where products are produced according to strict technical requirements. All painters employed by Vista Alegre have an in-depth knowledge of colour palettes, correct paint application techniques and the behaviour of all materials during the firing stage.

Visitors to the Production section can observe the porcelain decoration techniques most commonly used at Vista Alegre and be fascinated by its unique pieces, limited editions, personalised orders and pieces decorated with coats of arms.

Decorated pieces must undergo a final firing stage in a muffle, also known as a decorative kiln, whose temperature does not exceed 860°C.