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Close to Mafra, you have the chance to discover a typical village from Lisbon’s “saloio” region. It is made entirely of clay and has been built in a natural size, being the work of the Portuguese sculptor José Franco.

In the village of Sobreiro, close to Mafra, the sculptor José Franco dedicated his whole life to the art of modelling clay. He built a perfect life-size village, with shops and houses displaying the typical architecture of the region and furnished on the inside, as well as a windmill, butcher’s shop, water-mill, blacksmith’s forge, threshing floor, tavern, carpenter’s workshop, etc.... all of this is to be found in this village, reminding us of the way life used to be in Mafra when it was a more rural municipality, with people engaging in various trades and crafts that have gradually begun to disappear with time.

The village depicts the true story of the region and undoubtedly arouses the curiosity of the many travellers of all ages that frequently pass through here.

In the same space, you can also see a permanent exhibition of the ceramic works of José Franco.