Travelling to Portugal I hoped to see some of the tiles I'd heard and read about, and I wasn't disappointed - one can't really not see them. Old and modern, telling stories or just for decoration, we saw plenty of examples as we made our way from Lisbon in the south to Porto in the north, and then in the towns along the Duoro River.
Everywhere in the old town of Lisbon, were cobblestones
or splendid patterned pavements, made from different coloured stone or tiles.
Tiles on the outside of buildings
and tiles spotted in entry halls
Tiles for the tourists
We travelled a little further out to the wonderful Azulejo Museum to see examples of the different types and uses of tiles over the centuries. It is well worth the visit. My camera got a good workout but I'll just show a few here :-)
This is the pretty entrance to the museum which is in an old convent.
Captions are given in English. The introduction states "The Azulejo is an identitary art of Portugal. Its uninterrupted use for the past five centuries differs from how it was perceived in other cultures, asserting a Portuguese taste. The museum is the staring point to appreciate this heritage, found all over the country, applied in the spaces for which it was designed"
A few brief points (search on azulejo if you want to know more) - glazed pavement tiles have been used in Portugal since the 13th century - simple geometric shapes in plain colours to begin with then shapes like alfardons (elongated hexagons) and painted.. By the 16th century they were being used on walls and facades. They provide good temperature control (insulation) and prevent water damage and wear on buildings. The early motifs influenced by Islamic traditions were later replaced in the 16th to 18th centuries by western motifs and elements. Besides being imressive visually, the tiles have been used in public spaces to tell stories and record history.
Some of the antique pieces from the collection
and original pieces in the convent
with splendid plaster work too.
The European motifs include nature - animals and plants
A tile wall specially designed for a stair case
An amazing 18 metre picture of Lisbon just prior to the 1755 earthquake which destroyed much of the city
A wall in a moastery dining room
The tradition is continuing. These are from an exhibition of modern tile pictures
Some examples from a church and an external wall in Coimbra,
in Porto
and some of the works from 1937 on the outside of Pinhao railway station
Finally some early recycling. Tiles from earlier centuries collected from demolished buildings were reused in the Palace at Sintra (in the 18th or 19th century)
Everywhere in the old town of Lisbon, were cobblestones
Piles of little blocks to be laid (this was the weekend)
Some older examples
Tiles on the outside of buildings
and tiles spotted in entry halls
This is the pretty entrance to the museum which is in an old convent.
Captions are given in English. The introduction states "The Azulejo is an identitary art of Portugal. Its uninterrupted use for the past five centuries differs from how it was perceived in other cultures, asserting a Portuguese taste. The museum is the staring point to appreciate this heritage, found all over the country, applied in the spaces for which it was designed"
A few brief points (search on azulejo if you want to know more) - glazed pavement tiles have been used in Portugal since the 13th century - simple geometric shapes in plain colours to begin with then shapes like alfardons (elongated hexagons) and painted.. By the 16th century they were being used on walls and facades. They provide good temperature control (insulation) and prevent water damage and wear on buildings. The early motifs influenced by Islamic traditions were later replaced in the 16th to 18th centuries by western motifs and elements. Besides being imressive visually, the tiles have been used in public spaces to tell stories and record history.
Some of the antique pieces from the collection
The tradition is continuing. These are from an exhibition of modern tile pictures
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