The embroidered net lace of Luanco (Malla de Luanco)
At Riverstranslations, we have expanded our services by now also offering tour guides of rural Asturias. These tours are run by a local, official, Spanish tour guide. This has meant a considerable effort to prepare visits and make sure that everything is ready to receive visitors interested in the history and lives of locals in rural Asturias. Most recently, he has been preparing his tour of Luanco.
This led our tour guide to discover more about an artisanal artform that has been preserved for centuries, but is slowly disappearing. The embroidered net lace of Luanco (Malla de Luanco).
An artisanal piece of history
The embroidered net lace of Luanco was originally made by the wives and daughters of local fishermen in the northern town of Luanco. They would sell the lace they made to supplement their income and support their family. It was very popular in Spain and abroad, one of its main markets being Havana, Cuba, where a large population of descendants from the region had settled.
However, in the 60s, the tradition died out. This was due to changes in labour laws, the Cuban revolution and ensuing restrictions, among other things.
Luckily though, they have managed to keep the tradition alive. Years after the last embroidered net lace workshop closed, the local town council and the local housewives association decided to organise courses to train the next generation of malleras and, thus, to try to ensure that this artform isn’t lost forever.
Our local tour guide was lucky enough to participate in one of their courses this week and has some photos of the event. If you are interested in knowing more about this old tradition, you can contact the housewives association or the local tourist information office. You can also go on our tour of Luanco where our tour guide will explain the tradition in a bit more detail.
Interested in our tour of Luanco or Gozón, or in need of a translation or interpretation, send us a message or give us a ring now!