The Viana Heart. A timeless classic of Portuguese jewellery.

The heart of Viana is one of the most emblematic motifs of Portuguese filigree, an interpretation of divine love, faith and devotion of our people, which has become a symbol of timeless love used by generations of women.

If throughout the 19th century and much of the 20th century, this pendant was called “Minho heart”, and advertised as such by goldsmith manufacturers and traders, in the second half of the 20th century it was associated with Viana do Castelo, due to its use in the illustration of advertising campaigns, initially with the motto “Viana is love” and, later, “Viana stays in the heart”.

Its iconographic strength was so expressive that this adornment ended up losing its religious and loving connotation, becoming a symbol of a region, and since 2010 a symbol and brand of the municipality. of Viana do Castelo: a stylized red heart with the word ‘Viana’.

The heart and many other adornments of the so-called Portuguese “popular gold” are confused with filigree, the goldsmithing technique used in the production of most of these pieces - made of fine gold or silver threads -, which we call “Portuguese filigrees”. 

It was the love for the art of filigree, passed from master to apprentice, that led to the creation of the House of Filigree with the mission of protecting handmade Portuguese filigree, threatened with extinction due to the proliferation of reproductions made using industrial molds.

The Rosas family – with origins in Gondomar and active in goldsmithing for five generations – embraced the cause of filigree, which is in its genesis, with the opening of a space in the center of Porto that is a symbiosis of museum, atelier and boutique, which invites us on a journey through the history of Portuguese filigree. And where traditional jewelry is recreated, such as the Coração de Viana, and new pieces by contemporary designers are presented.

In defending the cause of 100% human, 100% local and 100% living filigree - and in promoting sustainability and cultural diversity -, House of Filigree counts on the partnership of small workshops, where the best artisans keep alive this tradition made of knowledge that is lost to time.

It is from their passion and mastery, from the soul they put into the pieces they create, that Coração de Viana is (re)born. In fine gold filigree, it is proof of rare artistic perfection only within the reach of the best masters, which elevates the art of Portuguese filigree to the level of high jewelry. 

A unique and unrepeatable jewel, a delicate lace that celebrates the noblest of motifs, a reflection of a knowledge of which we are proud, of fidelity to canons and of the care given to details.

A little treasure for women with a big heart.