Clay from the Hot Springs, Bordallo’s Swallows and a Touch of Mischief: The Past, Present and Future of Caldas da Rainha Ceramics

In this article we look at the ceramics of Caldas da Rainha. The hot springs led to the founding of the city, and the clay found in the region gave rise to one of its best-known arts: ceramics.

From the founding of the Thermal Hospital in the 15th century to the 20th century, ceramics have followed the city’s history. The tradition is still alive today, a mark of identity recognised in Portugal and abroad.

Visitors can hardly miss Caldas da Rainha tableware, and there are many traditional shops where you can buy a souvenir from the wide range on offer. The Mercado da Loiça shop is a local reference.

You can also admire this art, so closely linked to the city, on the many buildings whose tiled façades make for unforgettable scenery.

And if you want more, three museums look at ceramics from different angles: the Ceramics Museum, the Bordallo Pinheiro Museum and the José Malhoa Museum.

Taking home a piece of Caldas da Rainha, just like a photo, makes your visit even more memorable.

Related: Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro in Caldas da Rainha

Bordalo Pinheiro and Caldas da Rainha

The 19th century is seen as the golden age of the Caldas spa. It was also when local ceramics found one of their greatest champions and moved from purely practical tableware to recognised artistic ceramics.

In 1884, Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, creator of the famous Portuguese icon Zé Povinho, was appointed artistic director of the Caldas da Rainha Faience Factory, beginning a bond with the town that would never be broken.

His son, Manuel Gustavo Bordalo Pinheiro, continued his work and in 1907 founded the Bordallo Pinheiro Faience Factory. Its building still stands in the oldest part of the city, next to Parque D. Carlos I, and houses a shop and the Bordallo Pinheiro Museum.

Alongside Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, other important names in local ceramics included Francisco Gomes de Avelar, José Alves Cunha, José Francisco de Sousa and Manuel Mafra, to name just a few.

Bordalo’s presence can be felt all over the city. Today he is one of the hallmarks of Caldas da Rainha and one of its biggest attractions.

You can follow in his footsteps on the Bordaliana Route, a recently created trail that introduces you to Bordalo Pinheiro and to a city that celebrates the arts and the people who make them.

Contemporary ceramics

Another golden age for Caldas ceramics came in the mid-20th century, when Alberto Pinto Ribeiro founded the SECLA factory in 1947.

SECLA modernised local ceramics, which until then had relied mainly on small family workshops that did much to build the reputation the craft enjoys today.

Besides tableware and decorative items, SECLA’s art studio, where artists such as Hansi Staël and Ferreira da Silva worked, gave Caldas ceramics the contemporary style that still defines them today.

Although it closed in 2008, SECLA is still a reference in the city.

Today the main producers in Caldas da Rainha are the Bordallo Pinheiro factory and Molde, which offers an industrial tour that is well worth taking.

There are also many independent ceramists who find their own way of working with clay, giving it all kinds of shapes and uses.

The ceramic tradition of Caldas da Rainha is still very much alive, and Carlos Oliveira is one of the best examples of its strength today.

Others, such as Mário Reis, Vítor Reis, Carlos Enxuto, Ana Sobral and Paula Violante, also keep the art of working with clay alive in Caldas da Rainha.

The satirical ceramics of Caldas da Rainha

No account of Caldas ceramics would be complete without its cheeky, satirical and often phallic pieces, a typical local product that has put the city on the map of mischief.

Their origins are uncertain, but the most widely accepted story credits the Manuel Gomes Mafra factory, in the second half of the 19th century, at the request of King Luís himself.

Could the king, or the factory workers, have imagined that a joke would become one of the strongest traditions of Caldas da Rainha?

Today, proof that Caldas has always been an artistic city able to move with the times, many ceramists and designers carry on the tradition, giving it new forms and looks. But the cheekiness is always there…

Where to buy ceramics in Caldas da Rainha

Here is a simple route to find the shops that sell all kinds of locally made tableware, from the most traditional to the most contemporary.

Rua de Camões

Once one of the city’s main streets, Rua de Camões leads to the Thermal Hospital and was home to many ceramists’ shops and studios. Only a few are still open today.

Rua da Liberdade

Opposite the Thermal Hospital, this street climbs up to the famous Praça da Fruta, one of the city’s icons. Here you will find a couple more shops selling the best of Caldas ceramics!

Rua Bordalo Pinheiro

Named after the master from Lisbon, this is considered the city’s first street. It leads to the Bordallo Pinheiro shop and the Casa Museu São Rafael.

The shop sells the brand’s latest collections and has an outlet with more affordable pieces.

Rua Capitão Filipe de Sousa

This is where you will find Mercado da Loiça, a shop that sells tableware by the kilo, along with other offers, including Bordallo Pinheiro pieces.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Caldas da Rainha famous for ceramics?

The clay found in the region gave rise to a ceramic tradition that has followed the city since the 15th century and gained fame with Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, who became artistic director of the local faience factory in 1884.

Where can I buy ceramics in Caldas da Rainha?

In shops along Rua da Liberdade and Rua Bordalo Pinheiro, at the Bordallo Pinheiro shop and outlet, and at Mercado da Loiça on Rua Capitão Filipe de Sousa, which sells tableware by the kilo.

What are the satirical ceramics of Caldas?

Humorous, often phallic pieces that are a local tradition. The most widely accepted story links their origin to the Manuel Gomes Mafra factory in the second half of the 19th century.

More history of Caldas da Rainha

• Queen Leonor, the founder
• King Carlos I and Caldas da Rainha
• Rodrigo Berquó, the man of the waters
• José Malhoa, the naturalist painter
• Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro in Caldas da Rainha
• Francisco Grandella and Foz do Arelho

This article was put together by the GoCaldas team, the local travel guide to Caldas da Rainha.