Vista Alegre company was the first industrial unit dealing with producing porcelain in Portugal. The determination of its founder, José Ferreira Pinto Basto, contributed to a huge success of this bra
Vista Alegre company was the first industrial unit dealing with producing porcelain in Portugal. The determination of its founder, José Ferreira Pinto Basto, contributed to a huge success of this brand around the world. José Ferreira Pinto Basto began laying the foundations of the company by purchasing the Ermida farm that was located near the city of Ílhavo, next to the Aveiro stream in 1812. In 1816, the entrepreneur purchased the Vista Alegre chapel in the course of a public auction, as well as bought all the surrounding areas, which were later on utilized to build the Vista Alegre factory.That is how it all started and continues till the present day. What about the current situation of the enterprise in question? In 1985, the brand opened the Vista Alegre Center of Art and Development (Centro de Arte e Desenvolvimento da Empresa - CADE) in order to encourage the creation of new works of art and decorations, as well as to promote training sessions in painting and sculpting. At the end of the 80s, the creations of Vista Alegre were presented during highly important international fairs organized in such places as the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Royal Palace of Milan, which had a notable impact on the popularization of the brand across the globe. In 1997, the operating profit of Vista Alegre almost doubled after merging with the Cerexport ceramics-oriented group. In May 2001, the merger of Vista Alegre Group and Atlantis Group made luxurious glass and crystal vessels return to the portfolio of the company. The result of the aforementioned merger was the creation of the biggest tableware-oriented group in Portugal and sixth biggest group worldwide with regards to the sector in question, namely Vista Alegre Group (VAA Group).In 2009, the VAA group became a remarkable part of the portfolio of the Visabeira group, after the latter company placed a public offer for the acquisition of the operating capital of the VAA Group. As of currently, Vista Alegre is something much more than just a simple industrial unit. It is also a part of the Portuguese heritage, being in possession of architecturally marvelous buildings, as well as being considered to be the repository of societal and artistic memories that are so vital when it comes to building the Portuguese heritage. What items can be seen in the exceptionally vast offer of Vista Alegre?The brand makes exclusive porcelain tableware, decorative elements, gifts, hotel-oriented items, top quality glass goods, crystal items, as well as cutlery made out of 18/10 stainless steel. Aside from utilizing exquisite modern production techniques, the factory also employs as many as 17 painters, who are responsible for decorating selected elements. Due to offering its items in a wide variety of styles, starting from classic up to modern ones, the brand is considered to be very inspirational by many experienced and knowledgeable consumers. The contemporary heir to a long cultural tradition, Vista Alegre, was able to adopt 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, Christian Lacroix, and many others.How does the long process of porcelain making look like? Porcelain can be manufactured by following various processes, depending on the type of product and its intended characteristics. Hollow components, such as tea and coffee pots, are produced by means of opting for a technique known as molding. It involves pouring liquid porcelain clay, also referred to as a slip, into a gypsum mold. The entire process of molding process is highly dependent on the absorption capacity of the clay and the time the slip remains inside the mold. The mold is drained as soon as the clay layer reaches the desired thickness to remove excess slip. After drying, the piece can be finally removed from the mold. Complex elements, such as sculptures, often have to be made in the form of separate parts that are afterwards attached to one another. This technique requires an extensive experience and skills to ensure the superb quality of the final product.Flat elements, cups, and symmetrical elements are produced during a highly specific molding process, during which plastic porcelain clay is placed inside a clay mold and pressed against its surface by a rotating metal head. In line with the tradition of the Vista Alegre painting school of producing works of the highest quality, hand painting is reserved for works of a notably high artistic and commercial value.By focusing on employing only highly specialized, knowledgeable, and properly qualified artisans, Vista Alegre has become one of a few ceramics factories offering all the interested individuals a fully operational hand painting workshop, in which goods are created and decorated in line with strict technical requirements. All the painters employed by Vista Alegre are exceptionally experienced when it comes to hues, proper techniques of paint application, and maintaining all the materials intact during the burning phase. By visiting the Production section of the page, one may learn more about porcelain decoration techniques typically opted for by Vista Alegre and become amazed by its fantastic products, limited editions of goods, personalized orders, and elements decorated with individual crests. All the decorated elements must undergo the last muffle burning stage in the so-called decorative stove, the temperature inside which does not exceed 860 °C.
