The Ribeira da Goldra route starts at the building of the former firm of José Mendes Veiga (Real Fábrica Veiga), which is currently the headquarters of the Wool Museum of the University of Beira Interior. The Real Fábrica Veiga complex consists of three buildings in granite stonework, located next to the Ribeira da Goldra. It was the headquarters of a historic wool company, founded in 1784, by José Mendes Veiga, from a dyeing workshop. Its installation in this place, from 1764, was due to the influence of the Pombaline intervention carried out at the Royal Fabrics Factory, having remained in activity since the end of the century. XVIII at the beginning of the century. XX. The original building was the target of successive expansions until 1834, by the action of this new Christian industrialist, when it was established as a complete factory. In its heyday (1835 to 1891), this company covered about two dozen manufacturing units, as well as several spinning schools disseminated predominantly by the municipalities of Covilhã and Fundão. From 1916 until the nineties of the century. XX, other firms with different activities were housed here, but always from the wool subsector.
Between 2000 and 2004, after the acquisition of the property by the University of Beira Interior, an architectural recovery and enhancement intervention was carried out, with the purpose of transforming it into a Wool Interpretation Center. The complex, with a gross area of about 12,000 m2, houses the Headquarters of the Museum, the Museological Center for the Industrialization of Wool and the Center for Documentation / Historical Archives.
(You can consult in the PDF document, the entire route)
