Azorean Government certifies "Registos do Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres" with craft Geographical Indication seal - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Juventude, Habitação e Emprego

The Registos do Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres received the artisanal Geographical Indication (GI) seal, valid throughout Europe, following a process promoted by the Regional Secretariat for Youth, Housing and Employment, through the Crafts and Design Centre of the Azores (CADA).

The certification of this craft production was awarded by A.Certifica and acknowledged by the Portuguese Institute of Industrial Property and the European Union Intellectual Property Office, explained Maria João Carreiro at the certification ceremony held this Friday in the Lower Choir of the Conceição Palace in Ponta Delgada.

“We moved forward with this certification in the belief that it offers the possibility of protecting and recognising a know-how that embodies the cultural, historical and social wealth of a people and a territory,” stated the Regional Secretary for Youth, Housing and Employment.

The "Registos do Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres" (representations) are the second Azorean craft product from the "Azorean Handicraft" collective brand with national and European Geographical Indication certification, after the "Violas da Terra dos Açores" (traditional Azorean guitar), in 2024.

"The GI is a seal of quality and origin that certifies the unique link between craft production and the territory where it is produced, in this case the island of São Miguel, with all that this entails in terms of protecting and promoting technique, authenticity, quality and heritage identity within Europe," she said.

The GI certificates were awarded to artisans Maria Luísa Benevides, Fátima Rodrigues, Maria da Graça Bastos, Clementina Vieira Botelho, Lurdes Pereira, Gabriela Correia, Maria da Paixão Resendes, Maria da Saudade Riley, Manuela Linhares, and the Nossa Senhora da Paz Cooperative, from Vila Franca do Campo, to whom the government official thanked for their "work in safeguarding centuries-old craft production."

The Regional Secretary expressed her hope that these artisans "may make the most of this certification, which brings pride and renews their commitment to quality and respect for the unique characteristics" of a craft creation where art merges with faith and takes on both a sacred and decorative significance.

GI certification is an opportunity for artisans and consumers in terms of raising awareness of authentic products, protecting production methods and techniques rooted in cultural and social heritage, strengthening the competitiveness of craft businesses, and providing legal protection within the European Union.

"Bringing crafts closer to new market segments or stimulating dialogue between craft production and other sectors of activity, such as tourism, is now gaining new momentum with the access of Azorean Handicrafts to GI certification," she said.

In her speech, Maria João Carreiro assured that the Regional Government will continue to work to "put craftsmanship where it should be: with the people, in dialogue with innovation and with the territory."

The craft sector in the Azores, she continued, "is experiencing one of its best phases." In this regard, she highlighted the number of new artisans and craft production units under the "Azorean Handicrafts" collective brand, the expansion of the network of local fairs ("Azores Crafts Fair"), and the adaptation of SIDART to investment in innovation and promotion.

The Regional Secretary also announced the opening of the Azores Craft Lab - Innovation, Arts and Crafts in 2026, a new public facility that will operate at the Azores Training Centre in Ponta Delgada, with a view to promoting and facilitating training, experimentation and innovation activities for the local public and visitors.

Also participating in this GI certification ceremony for the "Registos do Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres" was the Director of External Relations and Legal Affairs of the Portuguese Institute of Industrial Property, João Amaral, who presented the new European GI regulation, and the Executive Director of A. Certifica, who identified the place of the Azores in the national mapping of craft products with GI potential.

The session ended with a performance by the Johann Sebastian Bach Group, featuring J. Van Berchem's "O Jesu Christe" (16th century) and the Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres Hymn.