Lorca celebrates its local pottery and ceramics tradition

The family of Martín Lario García has been “playing with earth, water and fire” since 1561!

For millennia, ever since human occupants began to inhabit the Guadalentín valley area of what is now the Region of Murcia, Lorca, Totana, Puerto Lumbreras and surrounding settlements have been a hub of activity in the field of pottery and ceramics, and in the city of Lorca the tradition remains very much alive as one of the artisan trades that have accompanied the history of the municipality.

Ever keen to promote such heritage, the Town Hall of Lorca, are honouring the local craftsman Martín Lario García, the head of Alfarería Eusebio Lario, who embodies an art form which “plays with water, earth and fire”, offering in each piece unique and exceptional results.

As well as keeping alive the identity of traditional Lorca ceramics, he adapts to new times with bold and innovative ideas, formats and designs, according to councillor Mayte Martínez, and his family workshop is a prime example of a tradition that boasts centuries of history. According to documents in the Municipal Archive, the Lario surname has been closely linked to pottery since 1561.

Martín Lario García has led the firm since 1998, adopting the name of his father, Eusebio, as a hallmark of identity and a tribute to the generations that came before him. Their work stands out for the variety and decoration (all of it created by hand) and is sold not only throughout Spain but also in other European countries including France, Italy, Holland, the UK and Sweden.

For more local information about Lorca, including news and what’s on, enquire at the tourist office (Palacio de Guevara, telephone 968 441914, email lorcaturismo@lorca.es, or visit the home page of Lorca Today.