Ramiro Alfonso Varela Cortines
Cobblestone pavements, Dry stone, Lime or gypsum finishings, Lime painting, Manufacture of lime, Masonry, Rammed earth and adobe walls, Stone carving, Stone masonry, Stone, ceramic or other types of flooring, Training, Vaults and arches made of stone, Walls with wooden frameworks, Wood carving, Wood joinery, Wooden roof structures
ACTIVITY
Ramiro is a master of traditional construction in many of its facets. Specialist in all types of stoneworks and masonry works, he carries out from simple works such as walls and other stone elements to more complex works such as the substitution of specific pieces… within a larger element and the restoration and reconstruction of structures and complex stone works such as ribbed vaults, coats of arms, etc.
He also carries out carpentry works and traditional building works. Moreover, he also carries out works related to the art of lime: from the manufacture of quicklime in the furnaces to the placing on site of mortars, renders, stuccoes and other finishings with traditional pigments.
He also manufactures his own tools in his forge.
TRAINING
Ramiro was raised in a family of building artisans and learnt the craft on his own at home when he found the tools of a mason belonging to his family. He met the sculptor Jesús Otero and he worked with him for almost twenty years,… where he broadened his training as a traditional constructor orienting his work towards works of artistic nature.
TEACHING
He has worked as a master mason training various promotions of artisans of different schools/workshops among which it is worth mentioning the School/Workshop of Reocín (Puente San Miguel, Cantabria), where he carried out his teaching practice throughout a period of fifteen years, and at the… School/Workshop in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic). He has also collaborated with the Centre of Crafts and Municipal Workshop of Plastic Arts in León.
SELECTED WORK
Among other stone works, he has manufactured the baptismal font for the Church of Caloca, the stand of the Church of Santa Lucía (Santander) and the council coats of arms of the Casa de Juntas in Puente de San Miguel.
He has taken part in the… restoration of masonry works. Among others: the transfer of the fountain of Concha Espina (Jardines de Pereda, Santander), the restoration of the Palace of Goyeneche in Nuevo Baztán and the building belonging to the Royal School of Medicine and Surgery of San Carlos, today the current building of the School of Doctors in Madrid, as well as the restoration of several coats of arms and portals in Cantabria.
He has also taken part in restoration works regarding carpentry, such as the restoration of the forge of Cades.
