The good work of local craftsmanship
4th grade students travel to the island of La Palma purpose learn about traditional crafts, silk and the tourist industry of the area.
26 | 11 | 2025
Students in the 4th year of design of the School of Architecture of the University of Navarra made an academic stay on the island of La Palma in early November, where they learned about the main industries that support the Economics the Canary Islands after the eruption of the volcano in 2021.
During the trip, the students had the opportunity to learn about the different services that characterize the area: handicrafts, the silk industry and the tourism sector.
One of the main activities consisted of visiting the Escuela Insular de Artesanía de La Palma, a center where the different handicraft sectors of the area converge. There they practiced crafts such as weaving, embroidery, palm basketry, frivolité and macramé.
Javier Millán, a 4th year design student, explains that during the visit to the School of Crafts he was impressed by "the value given to the work guide and the transmission of knowledge between generations. Seeing how traditional techniques are kept alive made me reflect on the designer's responsibility in the preservation and reinterpretation of cultural heritage".
The School of Crafts is part of the project La Palma Artesanía, which is committed to promote and support those crafts and traditional crafts of its territory. "This project takes care of the quality of local craftsmanship, which characterizes and differentiates the products in a globalized market like the current one", explains Gloria Diaz, coordinator of the School of Artisans.
Silk, a hidden value
On the other hand, the students discovered the spinning, dyeing and weaving of silk at the Las Hilanderas Silk Museum, where María Solbeida Marante and Antonio Bermúdez, two artisans from the island who preserve the official document. Both explained to the students the processes of making scarves and other silk garments. "Each thread seemed to tell a story, linking past and present through the official document," describes Javier Millán.
In addition, the students made a visit to the Tajogaite volcano, which allowed them to approach the project of renovation and transformation of the island after the natural catastrophe caused by the eruption of the volcano.
