House of Memory | Leather Tannery District WHS

The leather tannery district is part of the World Heritage site of the Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zone. The industrial importance of the city was as a centre for leather manufacturing, represented by tanneries, workers' houses and urban spaces from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Particularly remarkable is the large area of stone tanning pits in the centre of the city.

The House of Memory is in a stylish new building created by the Municipality of Guimarães. It relates the stories of the city and the region from prehistory to the present, covering not just the medieval past and the leather industries but textile manufacturing, international trade, community and society. The displays utilise text, artefacts, models, artworks, historical documents, maps and photographs. The House of Memory aims to be a centre of interpretation and knowledge for the culture, territory and history of Guimarães and its people and help to develop active citizenship.