Manuel Cargaleiro was born in 1927 in the region of Vila Velha de Rodão, municipality of Castelo Branco. He is one of the most acclaimed Portuguese artists. In 1952, he held his first exhibition in Lisbon and in 1954, he was awarded the National Prize for Ceramics. He was a ceramics professor at the School of Decorative Arts António Arroio in Lisbon. In 1957, he received a scholarship from the Italian Government, which allowed him to visit Italy and study ceramics in Faenza, Rome, and Florence. In 1982, he received the Order of the Cross of Santiago da Espada on Portugal Day, and in 1983, he was awarded the title of Officier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government. With numerous exhibitions in Portugal and abroad, his work encompasses painting, ceramics, printmaking, and tapestry. In 2004, he inaugurated the Museo Artistico Industriale di Ceramica Manuel Cargaleiro in Italy, and in 2005, the Cargaleiro Foundation - Museum in Castelo Branco.