Portuguese Azulejos Photo Album

Portugal, especially Lisbon, is filled with tiles, or azulejos as they are called in Portuguese. I took many, many pictures of tile facades on buildings as well as tiled walls and decorations.  It was hard for Dan and I to decide which ones we should share with you. We had to cut many of them to keep the picture album from becoming overwhelming.  It was truly a painstaking process.

Since there are websites that eloquently describe the role of the azulejos in Portuguese culture, I am going to defer to them. Go Lisbon is one such site and this is some of what they have to say:

Tiles (called azulejos) are everywhere in Portugal. They decorate everything from walls of churches and monasteries, to palaces, ordinary houses, park seats, fountains, shops, and railway stations. They often portray scenes from the history of the country, show its most ravishing sights, or simply serve as street signs, nameplates, or house numbers. 

Although they are not a Portuguese invention (the use of glazed tiles began in Egypt), they have been used more imaginatively and consistently in Portugal than in any other nation. They became an art form, and by the 18th century no other European country was producing as many tiles for such a variety of purposes and in so many different designs. Today, they still remain a very important part of the country’s architecture. 

Also, when we were shopping at A Vida Portuguesa, I purchased a gorgeous book on azulejos. I looked through several, and this one was the clear winner. The pictures were outstanding and they are coupled with the proper amount of text. It’s worth getting just for the pictures!

I hope you enjoy the photo album, portraying a totally charming aspect of Portugal. . . 

Tile Facades