Type Lda. Website www.viarco.pt Founded 1936 | Predecessor Portugália Founder Manoel Vieira Araújo | |
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Products Pencils, watercolours and other technical drawing instruments Headquarters Aveiro Municipality, Portugal | ||
Viarco
Viarco - Indústria de Lápis, Lda. is a Portuguese pencil manufacturer in São João da Madeira, Aveiro. It's one of the oldest pencil manufacturers in Europe.
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Origins
Industrial pencil making in Portugal started in 1907. The counselor Figueiredo Faria and his partner and engineer Jules Cacheux decide to create, in Vila do Conde, a factory called Faria, Cacheux & Cª, also known as Portugália.
Despite Portugália's initial success, its commercial activity was gradually affected by the participation of Portugal in World War I, in 1914.
Products
Viarco's factory manufactures various products ranging from office and school material to professional drawing and watercolouring material. It also makes personalized pencils for companies, museums and shops.
One of Viarco's most original products are its scented pencils, which include the collection Quintas e Jardins de Portugal ("Villas and gardens of Portugal"). Another example is Viarco's Art Graf collection.