A pair from Riolobos in Caceres province took second place with a 2,500-euro award, while a team from La Nava de Santiago in Badajoz claimed third place and 1,500 euros.

“After spending the whole morning preparing things and working in the heat, winning makes you very happy,” said Javier Vargas, the officer of the winning team, proudly. “The key to this year’s design lay in the layout [transferring shapes and measurements from the plan to the three-dimensional space]. It’s different every year, but to be honest, we’ve done quite well with this one,” he added.

Designed by jury chairman and architect Demófilo Peláez, this year's test required the 28 participating teams to build a warped, cantilevered brick panel supported on three vertices across a single horizontal plane. "The key to this year's design lay in the layout and transferring measurements from the plan into three-dimensional space," Vargas said after the verdict was announced shortly after 2pm.

The competition, held in Padre Ciganda square along the El Palo seafront promenade, drew teams from across Andalusia and Extremadura, including Caceres, Badajoz, Jaen, Cordoba and Seville. Teams worked from 8am using spirit levels, set squares and manual tools to interpret blueprints under strict time limits.

Founded in 1967 as an informal challenge between members of the Peña El Palustre neighbourhood club, the event has grown into Spain's primary national masonry contest. The competition will celebrate its 60th anniversary next year.