For this collection, we were inspired by the Arab origins of Madrid, the only European capital founded by Muslims, under the Umayyad emir Muḥammad I around the year 865.

The name of the city itself, according to the most accepted theory, derives from the Arabic Maŷrīṭ, meaning "abundant waterways/place abundant in water," given the multitude of streams and underground waterways at the time.

According to historians, the first urban nucleus of Madrid consisted of a ḥiṣn (an "alcázar") - the site where part of the royal palace now stands - an Al-mudayna, or "citadel" or "medina," and an aljama mosque.

In addition, towers, gates and a wall, a small section of which can still be seen in the Amir Mohamed I Park, were erected to protect Maŷrīṭ. The wall was strong, impregnable and made of flint, which sparkled in the dark when it came into contact with arrows.

And indeed, this would explain the reason for the motto on the city's first coat of arms:

"I was built on water, my walls are of fire".

Perhaps many people are still unaware of Madrid's Andalusian origins, or that, for example, the city's most important Catholic center, the Almudena Cathedral, stands today on the very spot where, centuries ago, a people with a different cult and culture placed the first stone that gave life to the Almudayna.

This wonderful paradox was the main idea behind our handcrafted jewel.

Cultural exchange is wealth, wherever it is.

Undoubtedly, over the centuries, human pride has wasted the opportunity to understand this, but today we have all the tools to change things.

First of all, it should be noted that the collection is not inspired by the Virgin of Almudena, but by the historical and artistic value of the Almudayna.

Therefore, the human figure of the piece does not refer to the patron saint of Madrid.

For the decorative motifs, we were inspired by the wonderful Teste di Moro, typical of the ceramics of Caltagirone, a Unesco heritage site in Sicily.

In fact, it is important to remember that both Sicilian and Spanish ceramics share the same precious Arabic roots.

For the shape of our handmade jewel, we have stylized the perimeter that the first Umayyad wall of Maŷrīṭ is said to have had.

At the bottom of the design, you can see two citrus fruits, since the Muslims introduced orange trees from India to the Iberian Peninsula.

Finally, in the middle of the design is an orange blossom, inspired by the technique of arabesque or ataurique, the ornamentation of plant and floral figures typical of Islamic art.

Almudayna wants to be a hymn to the human values of friendship, tolerance and coexistence.

An artistic unity, a symbol of respect for oneself and for the other, for his culture, his identity, his way of being.

Despite all the differences we may have according to our origin, religion, skin color, appearance or income, we all share the same nature as human beings. And as unfortunate as this may sound, the sad reality is that this is not yet the case.

History teaches us that there are two ways to deal with those who are different: rejection or embrace.

The first produces only suffering, loneliness, anger and fear.

The second enriches us by offering us different points of view, experiences and stories that we probably did not know.

And by the way, accepting is not the same as embracing. No one can accept that you exist and live as you do, because that would mean that someone else's life is worth more than yours.

The art world is a clear example of how when cultures come together, something wonderfully harmonious and complete can happen. Something that has no limits, no barriers, no beginning and no end.

We hope our Almudayna collection encourages you to embrace who you are and to do the same with the other people you meet along the way.

Remember that we are playing a game with no winners.

So let life bloom in all its richness of color.

And never be afraid to be different.