Castilla-La Mancha awards the Medal of Artisan Merit to potter Rafael Cebrián

The Governing Council of Castilla-La Mancha has awarded the Medal of Artisan Merit of Castilla-La Mancha to Rafael Cebrián Molina, a potter and ceramicist from La Roda (Albacete). The distinction, the highest in the field of craftsmanship in the region, is formalized through Decree 54/2026, dated September 29, published in the Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha (DOCM) in issue 195, dated October 9, 2026, within section III of other provisions and acts, with official reference 2026/7114.

The legal framework of the distinction

The award is based on article 14.3 of Law 14/2002, of July 11, on the Organization and Promotion of Craftsmanship, which empowers the Governing Council, upon the proposal of the head of the competent department in the matter, to grant the medal to artisans, artisan companies, research personnel, or entities that have most excelled in the recovery of the region’s artisan traditions or in their work in favor of the development and promotion of craftsmanship.

Decree 145/2008, of September 9, which regulates the conditions for obtaining the honorary title of Master Artisan and for the granting of distinctions and awards for Artisan Merit, establishes this medal as the highest distinction in the field. The proposal originated from the Department of Economy, Business and Employment, and the agreement was adopted following deliberation by the Governing Council at its meeting on September 29, 2026.

Fifth generation of potters from La Roda

The decree emphasizes that Rafael Cebrián Molina is a benchmark for traditional ceramics and pottery in Castilla-La Mancha, trades closely linked to the history, material culture, and artisan identity of the region. A native of La Roda (Albacete), he represents the continuity of a lineage of five generations of potters and ceramicists, a circumstance that makes him the custodian of a technical, cultural, and patrimonial legacy passed down from generation to generation.

His professional career has contributed decisively to the conservation, dignification, and projection of trades that are an essential part of the artisan heritage of Castilla-La Mancha. Through his work, he has kept alive the knowledge, techniques, procedures, and traditional forms linked to working with clay, highlighting the uniqueness of the handcrafted piece compared to industrial production processes.

Recognition of a trade at risk

The official text frames the recognition within a context marked by the progressive disappearance of certain traditional trades. The activity of Rafael Cebrián Molina represents, according to the decree, an especially relevant contribution to the preservation of the artisanal memory of Castilla-La Mancha, having helped keep alive a historical trade deeply rooted in La Roda and in the province of Albacete, reinforcing the presence and recognition of Castilian-Manchegan ceramics both within and outside the region.

The express reasons for the award are:

• His eminent trajectory in favor of regional craftsmanship.
• His outstanding contribution to the conservation, dignification, and promotion of the ceramics and pottery trades.
• His status as the continuer of a lineage of five generations of potters and ceramists native to La Roda (Albacete).

Decree 54/2026 enters into force on the day of its publication in the DOCM. The text was issued in Toledo on September 29, 2026, and signed by the president of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page Sánchez, and by the counselor of Economy, Business and Employment, Patricia Franco Jiménez.

The award places traditional pottery at the center of the region’s institutional agenda and gives visibility to an artisanal trade that, in the case of La Roda, sustains a family transmission chain of five generations. For the Castilian-Manchegan artisanal sector, the recognition reinforces the patrimonial and economic value of handmade production over industrial production, and makes Rafael Cebrián Molina an ambassador for regional ceramics.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha, no. 195, October 9, 2026, section III, page 36276 (official reference: 2026/7114).