The donation agreement was signed at 10.30 am in the Great Hall of the Town Hall by the Mayor of Silves, Luísa Conduto Luís, and Erik de Vlieger, CEO of Carvoeiro Branco and ANTRIX.

As a result, a collection – considered cultural heritage of municipal interest – has been donated to Silves Town Council. The municipality will now care for it and intends to ensure its preservation, given its significant record of the region’s cork industry.

In a press release, Carvoeiro Branco and ANTRIX stated that the ceremony in question “marks another step in the restoration process of the Fábrica do Inglês, acquired by Carvoeiro Branco and ANTRIX in April 2025, and takes place two months after the reopening of the Cork Museum, which reopened its doors in July after being closed for 16 years.”

At the ceremony to donate the collection, Erik de Vlieger is reported to have highlighted the importance of the donated items and their connection to Silves, noting that the archive “holds important memories, documents and stories of many people. And history must be shared.”

The Fábrica do Inglês

Founded in the 19th century, in 1894, the Fábrica do Inglês is considered one of the “most significant examples of the Algarve’s industrial heritage.” The Cork Museum, housed within the complex, was recognised in 2001 as the best industrial museum in Europe, the same year in which it welcomed 100,000 visitors.

The restoration of the current building, to be carried out by Carvoeiro Branco and ANTRIX, will form part of “a multi-phase programme of heritage restoration and new construction.” In addition to the renowned Cork Museum, the new project will restore the historic chalet and transform it into a tea house, “landscaped gardens, a boutique hotel with 38 rooms, 12 holiday villas, 30 apartments and the future headquarters of Carvoeiro Branco and ANTRIX.”

Carvoeiro Branco and ANTRIX aim to “restore the existing heritage and gradually return the Fábrica do Inglês to the town of Silves, reconciling the preservation of its history with new uses.”