Cerámica Artesanal La Barranca
TELEPHONE:
ADDRESS:
C/ Estación,36 – 45571 Azután
ACTIVITY
Carlos Paniagua García, with his firm La Barranca, specialises in making handcrafted tiles and bricks. The traditional process he follows enables him to achieve highly versatile results in terms of form, allowing him to craft customised tiles and bricks of any size.
The earth is ground… and the clay is kneaded in the traditional way, making each article unique with subtly different colouring allowing it to stand out among others of its kind. Once the clay has been tempered to optimal consistency, it is poured manually into wooden moulds and the pieces are left to dry naturally on racks for subsequent storage or distribution. They are fired for 18 hours in traditional “Arab” kilns, using wood as fuel. When the tiles are laid, it is vital for them to be wetted by being dipped into a water basin.
The firm’s tiles and bricks are made mostly between March and October, before the first frosts. For as they are porous, able to absorb a lot of moisture, the expansion of freezing water could crack them.
TRAINING
Carlos learned the trade on the job and from masters such as his partner José Luis Romero and the latter’s father. Since then his own everyday practice of the art of making clay tiles and bricks has allowed him to hone his craft and build… his expertise.
SELECTED WORK
His products are mostly used in rural rather than urban environments, all over Spain. Many of his tiles and bricks have been used in restorations of churches around Toledo as well as in work on buildings such as the Monastery of Guadalupe or the Parador… Hotel of Oropesa.
