The Royal Tapestry Factory That Worked With Francisco Goya Is Still Weaving Today

ByIRENE YAGÜE

MADRID (AP)– Spain’s Royal Tapestry Factory has actually been embellishing the walls and floorings of palaces and organizations for more than 300 years.

Found on a peaceful, leafy street in main Madrid, its craftsmens deal with painstaking concentrate on tapestries, carpets and heraldic banners, integrating the long knowledge of the craft with brand-new strategies.

The factory was opened in 1721 by Spain’s King Felipe V. He generated Catholic artisans from Flanders, which had actually become part of Spain’s empire, to get it began.

A craftswoman weaves a tapestry at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Because its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory constructed with the assistance of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Craftswomen work at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Given that its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory constructed with the assistance of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Threads and wool of all colors, bobbins, tools and spinning wheels are all over. A few of the initial wood devices are still in usage.

The basic director, Alejandro Klecker de Elizalde, takes pride in the factory’s sustainable nature.

“Here the only items we deal with are silk, wool, jute, cotton, linen,” he stated. “And these little leftovers that we produce, the water from the dyes, or the little pieces of wool, whatever is recycled, whatever has a double, a 2nd usage.”

Archive and library supervisor Cristina de Mora reveals a part of the archive collection at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Because its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory developed with the assistance of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) — Archive and library supervisor Cristina de Mora reveals a part of the archive collection at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Given that its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory constructed with the aid of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

The factory likewise brings back pieces that have actually suffered the wear and tears, and it boasts among the most crucial fabric archives and libraries in Europe.

Nowadays, 70% of consumers are people from Latin America, Europe and the Middle East.

Princess Leonor, center, beside Spanish King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and her sis Sofia, right, go to a military parade under the — Princess Leonor, center, beside Spanish King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and her sibling Sofia, right, participate in a military parade under the “baldachin,” or canopy, after swearing loyalty to the Constitution throughout a gala occasion that makes her qualified to be queen one day, in Madrid on Tuesday, Oct. 31 2023. Given that its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory developed with the aid of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

The factory just recently got among its greatest orders, 32 tapestries for the Palace of Dresden in Germany– worth more than 1 million euros and offering work for as much as 5 years, according to Klecker de Elizalde.

In 2018, the factory ended up a personal Lebanese commission for a tapestry reproduction of the huge Tate Gallery pen and pencil work “Sabra and Shatila Massacre” by Iraq artist Dia al-Azzawi. It portrays the scaries of the 1982-83 atrocities by Christian Phalangist militia members in Palestinian refugee camps that were safeguarded by Israeli soldiers.

Wool of various colors are seen at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Considering that its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory developed with the assistance of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) — Wool of various colors are seen at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Because its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory constructed with the assistance of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Wool is colored at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Given that its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory developed with the aid of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. Considering that its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory developed with the assistance of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) — Wool is colored at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Given that its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory constructed with the aid of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. Considering that its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory developed with the assistance of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Developing a tapestry is a fragile procedure that takes a number of weeks or months of work for each square meter.

A tapestry starts with “animations,” or illustrations on sheets of paper or canvas that are later on traced onto vertical thread systems called warps, which are then woven over.

Among the factory’s most renowned cartoonists was master painter Francisco Goya, who started working there in 1780. A few of the tapestries he created now await the close-by Prado Museum and Madrid’s Royal Collections Gallery.

An artisan operates at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Because its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory constructed with the aid of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

A craftswoman weaves a tapestry at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Given that its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory developed with the assistance of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) — A craftswoman weaves a tapestry at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Because its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory constructed with the aid of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

An artisan deals with a tapestry at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Because its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory developed with the aid of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) — An artisan deals with a tapestry at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Given that its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory constructed with the aid of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Craftswomen work at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Because its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory developed with the assistance of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) — Craftswomen work at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Given that its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory developed with the aid of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Wools are saved in the attic at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Because its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory constructed with the aid of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) — Wools are kept in the attic at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Given that its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory developed with the assistance of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Wools are saved in the attic at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Considering that its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory developed with the aid of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) — Wools are kept in the attic at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Because its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory constructed with the aid of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

A craftswoman deals with the information of a tapestry at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Considering that its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory constructed with the aid of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) — A craftswoman deals with the information of a tapestry at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Given that its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory developed with the aid of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

A craftswoman deals with a tapestry at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Considering that its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory developed with the assistance of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) — A craftswoman deals with a tapestry at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Because its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory constructed with the assistance of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Tapestry quill are seen at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Given that its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory developed with the assistance of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) — Tapestry quill are seen at the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Nov. 30, 2023. Considering that its structure in 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid has actually not stopped producing. It was Philip V, then King of Spain, who had actually the factory developed with the assistance of Catholic artisans from Flanders to change the absence of personal effort that existed at the time. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Associated Press author Ciarán Giles in Madrid added to this report.

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