The mayor of Castellón, Begoña Carrasco, attended today the gala for the 50th edition of the "Alfa de Oro" Awards, organized by the Spanish Society of Ceramics and Glass (SECV) and held at the Chamber of Commerce of Castellón. The event was also attended by other authorities such as the delegate of the Consell in Castellón, Susana Fabregat, the provincial deputy for Ceramic Promotion, Vicent Pallarés, the president of the Chamber of Commerce, Lola Guillamón, the president of the SECV, Miguel Galindo, and the general secretary of the entity, Jadra Mosa.
During her speech, Carrasco underlined the relevance of ceramics for Castellón, recalling the city's 775th Anniversary and its history. She mentioned how the ceramics from Castell Vell helped decipher life on the Magdalena hill and highlighted the importance of the Roman villa of Vinamargo, where amphorae and vessels bearing Castellón's seal were key to Mediterranean trade, associating ceramics with commerce, exchange, and prosperity.
The mayor emphasized the Castellón City Council's commitment to promoting this heritage and making ceramics the "true skin of Castellón". This includes supporting companies in the sector, promoting their products in the urban environment as a "City-lab", and encouraging their use in city projects.
Carrasco cited as examples of this commitment the renovation of the new Central Market, which will feature over 3,200 m² of ceramic flooring and cladding, the new 5.0 Municipal Library, the upcoming renovations of the South and Grau Mayor's Offices, as well as the Pergola, Sant Antoni Market, the La Panderola civic center in El Grau, the promenade of Av. Ferrandis Salvador, and the Mestre Canós and Elcano schools.
She stressed that ceramics should be a protagonist of the "Third Great Transformation of Castellón", as it represents a commitment to talent, the future, and a better future for the region. Therefore, she stated that the 50th edition of the Alfa de Oro Awards, "synonymous with ceramic excellence", finds the best setting in Castellón.
Carrasco assured that today "we want to stand alongside the Spanish Society of Ceramics and Glass, companies, professional associations, and technological institutes" to celebrate that, despite difficulties and energy challenges, "ceramics is synonymous with civilization, progress, employment, prosperity, and a better future for all".
Finally, she summarized that "ceramics is the engine of our economy, the support of thousands and thousands of families in this city and province". She added that Castellón will continue to be "synonymous with ceramic excellence", honoring its ancestors and being part of the pride of belonging to the city. She concluded that ceramics opens the door to "more prosperity, more opportunities, and a better future", just as the settlers of Castell Vell sought 775 years ago when founding the city.
