The people of Minho are rich in tradition, festivals, and historical symbolism. A prime example is the symbol of the Heart of Viana, which, more than just Minho property, is already a national treasure and used across the border.
The famous Heart of Viana
The people of Minho are rich in tradition, festivals, and historical symbolism. A prime example is the symbol of the Heart of Viana, which, more than just a Minho property, is now a national treasure and used across borders, throughout the world, in the form of earrings, necklaces, printed on clothing or decorations, and many other uses.
The famous Coração is, today, more than a representation of our square, it is part of the Portuguese identity for itself and for the rest of the world.
The story
More than just an image forever present in our cultural imagination, the Heart of Viana is now a symbol of our land and our origins.
The heart has always been associated with a highly religious connotation and was seen as the representation of life, love, fraternity, the divine... that is why saints - personifications of these values - often have, in their image, the heart "on the outside" of the chest.
More specifically, the origin of the Heart of Viana is attributed to Queen Maria I's ambition to pay homage to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to whom she had the symbol minted in gold as a token of gratitude for the son she conceived, and upon which she had the country's great decorations stamped: the Orders of Christ, Santiago, and Aviz. This was the 18th century.
The story
The Viana in its name was a convention of the time, its use is widespread throughout Minho - Alto and Baixo - and is present in various crafts.
As the greatest attribute of the costumes and gold that the Vianense woman carries, the Heart is often accompanied by the also famous queen earrings, beaded necklaces, earrings and hoops, among many other elements of the Vianeza Costume .
Art and collections
Known for its distinctive character, a distinctive symbol of a legacy of culture and tradition, this crowned heart, filled with filigree threads, is no longer just a religious symbol: it's love and history. And art!
And since a Portuguese home cannot be without tradition, Letheshome created the IS Viana, Minho and Tradições collections, which feature distinctive elements of the Minho people and their legendary customs.
