Crafts

Paco Verdú, neighbor of Beneixama, since he retired is engaged in crafts. This hobby has been around since he was a child, when he was 10 years old he made his first alpargatas with the help of his father. When he was older, he helped his father to make rope to tie wood, but his activity stopped at age 15 to go to work in a textile factory where he worked for 45 years.

It was when he retired in the year 2000 when again he returned to the artisanal activity. Starting making chairs and tables as well as typical small Valencian espadrilles.

The process of winding is very complicated but it has served to express this modality of art that undoubtedly is a marvel.

Given his ability he realized that he could continue doing more things, and that was when he began to line up the models that he had made with his hands.

Among these models we can find representative pieces of the town such as the Cooperativa del aceite, the Ermita de San Isidro, the Minat, the Castle of Fiestas and the typical Valencian espadrilles and many other things.

Currently his collection consists of 350 pieces in which we can find all kinds of objects made with hemp, chopsticks, cardboard and all kinds of material without neglecting the hemp, but not only these but in mind is projected many more.

Hemp plant

Esparto

Esparto has been part of the economy of our country since the first Iberian settlers. It has been used for various applications such as the production of cellulose for paper, the manufacture of sacks and arpilleras and for plaster in construction.

A neighbor of Beneixama has given a twist to all the mentioned applications and returned to what the Iberians did a few thousand years ago: Crafts.

This neighbor is José Sarrió, known by all as “Pepe Soqueta”, and since he retired he has taken the time to perfect a technique he learned as a child by necessity.

What began as a hobby has become a large collection of esparto objects that includes representative pieces of the town such as the facade of the church of San Juan Bautista, the hermitage of San Bartolomé del Campo de Mirra or the football field of Alcoyano and also smaller ones such as the typical Valencian espadrilles, the baleguet to fan the fire or the kites.

His activity as an artisan has crossed the borders of the town since he has appeared on television programs such as “En Conexió” on Channel 9 or on the program of “Karlos Arguiñano” on Tele 5.

All this collection that has visited other places such as Biar, Yecla, Bocairent or Sella, can be visited at the Ethnographic Museum of Beneixama every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and any day of the week by contacting the telephone 965 82 20 34 .

You can not miss it!