ACTIVITY
Castelo Obradoiro de Pedra embodies a tradition of craft stonemasonry going back over 40 years. José Manuel Castelo, currently in charge of the workshop, belongs to his family’s third generation of stonemasons.
His team has undertaken countless projects both in Spain and abroad. These may be… classified as sculpture (original creations), replicas in various styles, restorations of monumental and historic buildings, religious art (work for cemeteries, religious imagery, altars, etc.), and other artefacts such as benches, fountains, wells, fireplaces, hearths, coats of arms, etc.
They maintain the tools and craftsmanship of their forebears without rejecting new labour-saving technologies. The material they use most is Galician granite, though they also work with wood, marble, etc.
TRAINING
José Manuel Castelo learned the trade from his father, Manuel Castelo, a stonemason and sculptor, and also through experimentation of his own.
TEACHING
Placement training for the Maestro Mateo Arts and Crafts School in Santiago de Compostela
SELECTED WORK
Participation in the restoration of iconic buildings in Santiago de Compostela, such as the Raxoi Palace (the City Hall), the Convent of Santa Clara, the Monastery of San Martín Pinario (cloister fountain, pinnacle, etc.), the Church of Santa María a Real do Sar, etc.
Participation in… the restoration of the stone choirstalls built by Master Mateo in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral Museum
Participation in the reconstruction of the stately home Pazo de Sober (Lugo province)
Restoration of the steps of the Church of La Esclavitud in Padrón, and other church restorations such as of the campanile of the Church of Laraño (Santiago province)
Countless jobs for private clients such as hearths, hórreo granaries, wayside crosses, fountains, walls, paving, etc.
