A name is a combination of many origins, like many other words. In the case of Cordoa, its name comes from many cultural and geographical references.
Cordoa [/‘kɑːrdʊə/] automatically reminds us of cord, but this neologism arose naturally from a series of semantic coincidences, which crossed during the creation of the brand. On the one hand, there is the English word cordwainer and the French word cordonnier, which convey shoemaker — the artisan who makes shoes and not the one who repairs shoes, which in English would be a cobbler. The word also takes us to the medieval guilds: medieval professional organisations of artisans and craftsmen of each trade, with a guild of cordwainers, specialised artisans authorised to produce shoes, unlike cobblers, solely authorised to repair footwear that was previously made by the first.
The etymological origin of cordwainer comes from the French cordonnier. It relates to the use of the prestigious leather from Cordoue, that is, from Córdoba, the Spanish Andalusian city conquered by the Muslims in 756 AD. The city was later made the capital of its caliphate and became a relevant leather production center from the 9th century onwards, in what was a vibrant commercial, cultural and inter-religious center until the 16th century.
After this more rational inspiration, the coincidences commence. The first takes place in the Algarve, where Cordoa was born, while I lived in Vila do Bispo, on the Costa Vicentina, near Cordoama beach. The second coincidence happens in the north of Portugal, in Porto, where Cordoa is settled today, in the heart of the historic center. It was precisely here, where one of the old Cordoarias of the city took place, — which stretched, in the 15th century, from the sands of Miragaia to Passeio das Virtudes — that manufacturers made their large ropes (cords) for the historically settled naval industry. Later the artisans moved uptown, to Largo do Olival, currently Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, which is to this day called Cordoaria.
Cordoa, like wordplay, then takes a big turn and unites all meanings, just like a rope, paying, on the one hand, an homage to the historic artisans of leather and footwear, and on the other, touching the geographical references of the sites where this project was rooted. More than mere coincidences, I have a feeling that material culture is everywhere, and that we just need to be attentive.
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The origin of Cordoa
The origin of Cordoa
A name is a combination of many origins, like many other words. In the case of Cordoa, its name comes from many cultural and geographical references.
Cordoa [/‘kɑːrdʊə/] automatically reminds us of cord, but this neologism arose naturally from a series of semantic coincidences, which crossed during the creation of the brand. On the one hand, there is the English word cordwainer and the French word cordonnier, which convey shoemaker — the artisan who makes shoes and not the one who repairs shoes, which in English would be a cobbler. The word also takes us to the medieval guilds: medieval professional organisations of artisans and craftsmen of each trade, with a guild of cordwainers, specialised artisans authorised to produce shoes, unlike cobblers, solely authorised to repair footwear that was previously made by the first.
The etymological origin of cordwainer comes from the French cordonnier. It relates to the use of the prestigious leather from Cordoue, that is, from Córdoba, the Spanish Andalusian city conquered by the Muslims in 756 AD. The city was later made the capital of its caliphate and became a relevant leather production center from the 9th century onwards, in what was a vibrant commercial, cultural and inter-religious center until the 16th century.
After this more rational inspiration, the coincidences commence. The first takes place in the Algarve, where Cordoa was born, while I lived in Vila do Bispo, on the Costa Vicentina, near Cordoama beach. The second coincidence happens in the north of Portugal, in Porto, where Cordoa is settled today, in the heart of the historic center. It was precisely here, where one of the old Cordoarias of the city took place, — which stretched, in the 15th century, from the sands of Miragaia to Passeio das Virtudes — that manufacturers made their large ropes (cords) for the historically settled naval industry. Later the artisans moved uptown, to Largo do Olival, currently Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, which is to this day called Cordoaria.
Cordoa, like wordplay, then takes a big turn and unites all meanings, just like a rope, paying, on the one hand, an homage to the historic artisans of leather and footwear, and on the other, touching the geographical references of the sites where this project was rooted. More than mere coincidences, I have a feeling that material culture is everywhere, and that we just need to be attentive.