This collection is a tribute to our beloved city of Madrid and its most emblematic symbol: the strawberry tree.

Legend has it that a brown bear was chosen to represent the Spanish capital in memory of King Alfonso XI, who used to hunt these animals, which were very common in the Madrid area at the time.

But perhaps few know that in the oldest coats of arms, the bear was actually leaning against towers and not a tree.

In fact, the choice of a strawberry tree is usually justified with an event that occurred in the thirteenth century: there was a dispute between the Villa and the Chapter of the Clergy of Madrid over the ownership of some land in the city. Finally, in 1222, an agreement was reached according to which the Chapter would keep the pastures and the Villa would keep the wooded areas. Although many scholars believe that the trees were more likely almeces, since at that time strawberry trees were the most common trees in the Madriles, it was decided to include their figure in the city's coat of arms, also as an auspicious plant for its supposed curative properties against the plague.

However, when in 1569 the writer Juan Lopez de Hoyos told of finding a bas-relief of a dragon among the ruins of the Puerta Cerrada, his story gradually gained so much weight that between 1850 and 1967, in order to give Madrid an even more legendary origin, a dragon was added to the city's coat of arms, along with the bear and the strawberry tree. In fact, if you look carefully, you will find dragons all over Madrid, such as in the Retiro, on the façade of the Casa de la Villa, or in the San Isidro Museum.

Finally, the seven stars that surround the bear and the strawberry tree in the coat of arms most likely symbolize the constellation of Ursa Major, and many historians believe that they were added around the sixteenth century to pay homage to Maslama al-Mayriti ("the Madrilenian"), an illustrious Andalusian astronomer who was born in the Almudayna in the tenth century.

One last multicultural curiosity: the strawberry tree is also an Italian patriotic symbol, since its green leaves, the white of its flowers and the red of its fruits are reminiscent of the national flag, and was chosen in the 19th century as the symbol of the Italian Unification (Risorgimento).

To design this handcrafted jewel, we carefully studied the natural physiognomy of the arbutus fruit. We tried to reproduce the shape and the incredibly harmonious movements of its pointed and irregular filaments.

For the colored version of the jewel - which you will see soon - we focused on the final stage of ripening, when the fruit acquires its famous intense red color with a more orange base.

Our Madrid collection is intended to be a good omen for you and, above all, a breath of strength against the difficulties and problems that may appear on your path.

The strawberry tree, with its evergreen leaves, has always been considered a symbol of immortality and resilience. In fact, this tree is one of the few "resprouting" plants, that is, capable of easily resprouting even after a devastating fire.

Another peculiarity is the patient ripening of its fruits, which are born at the same time as the blossoming of the flowers, since they take up to a year to ripen. The Romans already used the leaves of the arbutus tree to visit the graves of their loved ones and to protect their homes from evil spirits.

Today, the Berbers and many North African populations still plant arbutus trees near their homes to fight disease and ward off the evil eye.

Once again, nature's example reminds us that adversity must be met with calm and patience, and that life must be faced with resilience and fortitude. Always.

The fact that the fruits of a strawberry tree take so long to ripen symbolically encourages us to persevere and fight for our dreams and goals. Because at the end of the day, time is just a physical convention, and what really makes the difference is your commitment. Your courage. Your resilience.