The Castelao Medal (Galician: ''Medalla Castelao''), established in 1984, is one of the highest civil distinctions awarded in Galicia, surpassed only by the

Medalla de Galicia Medalla is a Spanish word meaning medal. It may also refer to: * Medalla Light, a Puerto Rican beer produced by Cervecera de Puerto Rico * David Medalla (born 1942), Filipino international artist * Felipe Medalla Felipe Manguiat Medalla is a ...

. The award is presented by the

Xunta de Galicia The Xunta de Galicia (; "Regional Government of Galicia") is the collective decision-making body of the government of the autonomous community of Galicia, composed of the President, the Vice-President(s) and the specialized ministers (''Consell ...

to honour the people and institutions that have created exceptional works in the arts, culture, literature, science, or in any other field that is worthy of distinction. The award can be bestowed upon Galicians whether they reside in Galicia or abroad. The medal was created and named in honour of writer and politician

Alfonso Daniel Rodríguez Castelao Alfonso Daniel Manuel Rodríguez Castelao (30 January 1886 – 7 January 1950), commonly known as Castelao, was a Galician politician, writer, painter and doctor. He is one of the fathers of Galician nationalism, promoting Galician identi ...

History

The award was conceived in 1984 and is presented annually on 28 June. The date coincides with the return of the remains of writer and politician

from Argentina to Galicia in 1984, which were buried in the Panteón de Galegos Ilustres ( Panthenon of Distinguished Galicians), in

Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St ...

. The Castelao Medals are given to a different number of people each year. It is stipulated that the award cannot be given posthumously.

Medal description

The Medal measures . On the front is a cross designed by Castelao, which is inspired by the monumental stone crucifixes found in Galicia. On a blue background, the motto reads ''Deus fratresque Gallaeciae'' ( en, God, Brothers and Galicia). The name of the recipient of the award and the date are inscribed on the back. The medal hangs on entwined chains of white and blue, the national colours of Galicia.

Recipients

Partial list of laureates

2019

* Benedicta Sánchez, Jeanne Picard,

Marisa Crespo Marisa may refer to: * Marisa (town), an Indonesian town * Marisa, Hellenised name of Maresha, town in Idumea (today in Israel) * Marisa (given name), a feminine personal name * Marisa (gastropod), ''Marisa'' (gastropod), a genus of apple snails * ...

, Teresa Portela and the ''Galician professional collective of netmakers''.

2020

* A Roda, Xosé Manuel Piñeiro,

Ana Peleteiro Ana Peleteiro Brión (born 2 December 1995 in Ribeira, Galicia, Spain) is a Spanish triple jumper and the current national record holder. She won the gold medal in the 2019 European Athletics Indoor Championships. She had previously won bronze ...

Pilar Cernuda Pilar, Portuguese and Spanish for pillar, may refer to: People * Pilar (given name), a common abbreviation of ''María del Pilar'', including a list of people so named * Pilar (surname), a list of people surnamed Pilar or del Pilar Places Argent ...

and Asociación de Amigos do Camiño de Santiago.

2021

* Santiago Péman,

Esther Eiros Esther is the eponymous heroine of the Book of Esther. In the Achaemenid Empire, the Persian king Ahasuerus seeks a new wife after his queen, Vashti, is deposed for disobeying him. Hadassah, a Jewess who goes by the name of Esther, is chose ...

, Manuel Vila, Xoán Luis Saco Cid and the ''Centro Superior de Hostelería de Galicia''.

2022

Javier Sánchez de Dios Javier may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Javier, in video game ''Advance Wars: Dual Strike'' * Javier Rios, a character in the Monsters, Inc. franchise. * Javier (album), ''Javier'' (album), a 2003 album by the American singer Javier ...

Camilo Nogueira Román Camilo Nogueira Román (born 22 November 1936) is a Spanish politician and engineer. He was a Member of the European Parliament between 1999 and 2004. He was part of the Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG) and the Democratic Party of the Peoples of ...

Javier Olleros Javier may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Javier, in video game '' Advance Wars: Dual Strike'' * Javier Rios, a character in the Monsters, Inc. franchise. * ''Javier'' (album), a 2003 album by the American singer Javier Colon, known ...

CD Burela FS Club Deportivo Burela Fútbol Sala is a futsal club based in Burela, province of Lugo, in the northwestern autonomous community of Galicia. The club was founded in 2001 as a split-off of A Mariña FS. The club plays its home games in Pavillón ...

and ''El Eco de A Coruña''.

2023

* Ledicia Costas, Siniestro Total,

Lino de Prado Lino may refer to: * Lino, short for linoleum, a common flooring material * Lino, slang for linesman, the former name (still in widespread common use) for an assistant referee in football * Lino, slang for a habitual user of the narcotic cocaine ...

, Susana Gacio and

Rafael López López Rafael may refer to: * Rafael (given name) or Raphael, a name of Hebrew origin * Rafael, California * Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Israeli manufacturer of weapons and military technology * Hurricane Rafael, a 2012 hurricane Fiction * ''R ...

Notes

Visual arts awards Spanish literary awards Galician awards Castelao Medal recipients Annual events in Galicia (Spain) {{lit-award-stub