P.I. Marmolejo, Naves 2-3, 06930 Berlanga
The business is famous for its manufacture of artisanal terracotta pieces, made of soft clay, both in normal and large formats, reaching 90 x 90 centimetres the squared pieces and up to 200 centimetres lengthwise the rectangular ones. It is probably the only company who… does this kind of large format pieces. They also carry out finishings, flooring, window ledges, stair treads, keystones for arches, and whichever special ceramic piece they are commissioned to manufacture regardless of where it is finally going to be placed: newly-built constructions or restorations of old buildings such as churches, monasteries, etc.
The techniques they use to manufacture these pieces are basically the same ones that were traditionally used in the Peninsula, including Arabs and Romans: soft clays, wooden moulds to help shape the piece, and the hands of the artisan to manufacture them. After that, they let the pieces dry for as long as they need, in order to be able to handle them. The pieces in the oven should be placed in a way they can be adequately fired at a temperature of about 1000ºC.
They also specialize in completely artisanal tiling both for newly-built constructions and restorations of old pieces. The technique they use to create the biscuit (name given to the tiling when the pieces have been fired and are ready to be glazed or decorated) is the same one they use for the terracotta pieces. Once they have the biscuits of the size they want them to be, they enamel them with a brush one by one with the colour they have chosen or they decorate them according to the design which has been chosen by the client.
For the process of decorating the pieces they use the following techniques: pizano (decorating the piece by hand, with a fine brush, on top of a finishing of enamel), cuerda seca, glazing bajo cubierta, and, exceptionally, screen printing by hand. The technique which is used in each case will depend on the result one aims to achieve.
The main update they have introduced is the process of design via computer systems. This way, they digitally design the projects drawn to scale, either for flooring, finishings or façades to then obtain pieces from them. By using this technology, one can avoid unexpected events arisen from lack of planning.
Each one of their works implies direct contact with the client, visiting the actual site where each of their projects is going to be located, enabling to comment on the different possibilities, giving advice as far as possible and carrying out the plans until they reach the desired final result.
It is the fourth generation of a family from Guadalcanal (Sevilla) dedicated uninterruptedly to the craft since 1900. However, this last generation has introduced in Cerámica Mudéjar Extremeña S.L. the manufacture of tiling, since the previous generations never dedicated their time to this branch of… the craft. The main master was Joaquín Llano Calderón who died at the age of 66 in 1991, father of the current owner of the workshop. He was very close to his father with whom he worked with since he was eleven years old up until his death.
Monastery of the Carlinas, new construction in Constantina (Seville).
Restoration of the cloister of the Monastery of Santa Clara, in Castrojeriz (Burgos).
Restoration of the tiling of the fountain of the Plaza de España, in Oliva (Badajoz).
Finishings for a residential complex in Dilijan (Armenia) carried out by… Tim Flynn Architects, London. This project is currently still ongoing, and they are working closely to obtain the results they are aiming to achieve.