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Shoemaking Tradition of the Aranda Region

Brea de Aragón, Aranda, Zaragoza

1 Villages · 3 Monuments · 1 Nature · 3 Activities · 1 Curiosities · 1 Historical milestones

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Shoemaking Tradition of the Aranda Region

Curiosity · Brea de Aragón, Aranda, Zaragoza

Image of Brea de Aragón, not of the place itself.

The shoemaking trade, built up over centuries by Celtiberians, Jews, Arabs and Christians in the Aranda region, has its foremost example in Brea de Aragón (Zaragoza). In the 18th century the village produced more than half of the kingdom's tanned hides; in the early 19th century, the difficulty of exporting them during the War of Independence shifted production towards footwear. In 1930 there were 32 workshops in the town, and the first sewing machines did not end craft work but made it more comfortable. Handmade sandals from the village are documented from 1606. The economy is still based on footwear, to which the Footwear Museum is dedicated, with 600 m² on two floors since 2002.

Photo: Ecelan (CC BY-SA 3.0)

What to see and do in Brea de Aragón