A Portuguese Passion

Classic blue and white tiles plaster Capala das Almas, a church on the Rua Santa Catarina in Porto, PortugalThe Portuguese love tiles. Their country is slathered in them. Fortunately, I happened to visit two of the cities that have the best on-the-street samples: Lisbon, and Porto. The latter particularly seems to be coated in blue and white tiles. Both cities’ churches and public buildings are adorned with massive swathes of tile.

It was the Moors, having picked it up from the Persians, who introduced the art in the 16th century. These were mainly floral and geometric based designs, as figurative designs are not an option for Muslim artists for religious reasons. After the Italian invention of majolica, in which colours are painted directly into wet clay over a layer of white enamel, the Portuguese went wild.

One reason for the proliferation of tiles in Lisbon was after the 1755 earthquake that destroyed much of the city, tiles were a cheap and practical solution for decoration as the citizens rebuilt. The Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements also inspired artists to create fantastic facades and interiors of shops, restaurants and residential buildings.

Azulejos continue to coat contemporary life.

Take a look at my gallery of this Portuguese Passion for some close-up examples of tiles, taken on the street, in 18th century palaces and in the Museu Nacional do Azulejo. (Credits provided where known.)

A magnificent fountain in Sintra, Portugal