"One more step," said Marco Martins, referring to the strategic change implemented in 2013, when Gondomar itself adopted a new strategic image: that Gondomar is D’Ouro, in direct reference to two of its most important assets – gold and the Douro river, in all their financial, economic, cultural, and leisure complexity.

And after work "done together," the President of the Municipality of Gondomar concluded, "this certification would only make sense if we did it together." But he also emphasized, "we are also setting an example for the country: two different territories, two different realities, with different characteristics, from different political parties, were able to come together and put aside their differences to put people above all."

And for Gondomar and Póvoa de Lanhoso to be "a brand in the country and in Europe, with the added value of work done by generations after generations," it is necessary to embrace a new challenge, from Marco Martins' perspective: "We must be able to go even further, in our boldness, and the application for intangible cultural heritage will certainly be a challenge for us and for the country."

"Dominant art"
Preceding the host's speech, Avelino Silva, Mayor of Póvoa de Lanhoso, praised this "good example that anything is possible," in the name of the "collective heritage that has rightfully united us" through the "dominant art" of the two municipalities.

This is "the best way to internationally promote filigree," highlighted Avelino Silva, before defining where, now, the two territories should focus "all their energy": the application for intangible cultural heritage.

Preserving artisanal production
The certification aims to preserve the characteristics of artisanal production, autonomous within Portuguese jewelry. The technical features that define the production process, which is predominantly manual and uses ancestral techniques and tools, are detailed in the Specification Book, the regulatory document that governs this standard.

The certification was granted by Aderecertifica, a certification body accredited by the Instituto Português da Acreditação, fulfilling all requirements provided for in the National Certification System for Traditional Artisan Productions.

Each artisanal production unit was assigned a hallmark and labels to be placed on each certified piece. The hallmark stamped directly on the piece and the label as a "seal of guarantee" prove to the consumer that it is a unique, handmade piece.

Since the afternoon of July 12, 2018, there are 21 pioneering artisanal production units that can display on their pieces the certification mark with the Filigrana de Portugal seal.