The center's mission is to promote the study and dissemination of the Arraiolos rug, as well as its conservation, protection, enhancement and recognition as a historical, artistic and ethnographic heritage. The building is one of the oldest and most historic in the village of Arraiolos, having functioned as the Espírito Santo Hospital since the late 15th / early 16th century. The intersection between the historicity of the building and a contemporary architectural design has made this a unique piece of architecture at the service of museology.