No big deal – just small ceramic tiles covered with enamel. It would seem that such boxes can be used, at most, to decorate the apartment. In Portugal, however, azulejos – because they are about them – have grown to the rank of art and national treasure …
Azujelos are thin, mostly square, tiles that have been covered with shiny enamel. In fact, the types and species are in the dirt: one- and multi-colored, smooth, textured – whatever you can imagine. They used (and are still used) to compose mosaics – sometimes they consist of several thousand elements. Their subject matter was related to destiny and place. There are many mosaics with mythological, religious and hagiographic motifs, as well as a lot of beautiful ornaments and patterns that can still be admired in public space (about them 
soon). Seemingly, it seems that it is such a “small nothing”. And yet was able to conquer the minds and hearts of the inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula and permanently enter their identity – especially the Portuguese. Azulejos have become more than just an attractive decorative element. Tiles made of cheap material were the best way to improve the aesthetics of buildings, as well as to give them a unique look, and above all to ensure interior hygiene. Over time, however, they became an element of culture, a permanent national heritage.
Azulejos – how did it start?
The azulejos tile production technique was introduced and developed on the Iberian Peninsula by the Moors and Portugal and Spain owe this element to their current culture. It is assumed that the name that reached the Portuguese language through Spanish is of Arabic origin ( azzulay – polished stone ). This, in turn, most probably comes from the Persian word meaning lazurite (lapis lazuli) , an unusual semi-precious stone with a blue color. It is certainly no accident that azul in Spanish or Portuguese means blue , and the first tiles in the lands of the Iberian Peninsula were just that color. The tradition of creating mosaics is of course much older and comes from ancient times … The history of azujelos is a journey through the ages – extremely colorful and full of surprising twists – you can take it. Just now 🙂
The most beautiful azulejos are in …
Only the oldest azulejos, made by the most archaic technique, have survived in Portugal. The floor in the chapel of the royal palace in Sintra (currently Palácio Nacional ) survived in the best condition. The first azulejos factories in Portugal were established around 1550. Around this time, an important innovation was made, allowing the Portuguese to develop tile production in all their richness, diversity and originality that you can admire today. It was a majolica that reached Portugal from Italy, via Flanders and Spain. The name comes from the island of Majorca, where the Arabs developed the production of ceramics and traded it with Italian cities. And returning to majolica … The unbaked clay plate is covered with white glaze, on which it is easy to apply with a brush glaze in other colors; individual colors no longer had to be separated with special forms or grooves. As a result, drawings with much richer content appeared in place of simple geometric figures – so we know – it’s hard to resist historical curiosities … Forgive me 🙂
The capital of Portugal, Lisbon, is a real gem among places associated with azujelos, but before we get to it, it’s worth stopping in Porto (and not only).
In Porto, you can admire them, even looking at the outer wall of the church Igreja do Carmo, or strolling the cloisters of the Romanesque cathedral Sé – huge, white and blue azujelos refer to the biblical Songs over songs . The real treat will also be the interior of the train station Estação de São Bento , put into use in 
1916. It hides huge, extremely realistically presented scenes from the history of Portugal, on which you can see incl. Henry the Sailor – he owes the discovery of the Azores and Madeira, and his achievements opened the door to further expeditions and geographical discoveries.
The most beautiful azulejos produced by majolica are allegories in Quinta da Bacalhoa in Azeitao (approx. 40 km south of Lisbon). In the capital, however, the most wonderful tiles from this period are Renaissance compositions in the chapel Sao Roque in the charming church of the same name in Bairro Alto . Leaves, urns and cornucopia arouse undeniable admiration and admiration. The central medallion depicting one of the miracles that St. was supposed to accomplish is effectively cut off from most of the blue-white-yellow background. Roch.
In addition to these sophisticated azulejos, produced by masters and their students, a more modest type of tile – one-colored, laid on the walls in chessboard (most often blue and white or green and white), a pattern that despite its simplicity gives an attractive artistic effect has gained popularity. And in this case a beautiful example can be seen in the already mentioned Palácio Nacional in Sintra – or more precisely, in the Swan Hall (Sala dos Cisnes).
Only a plate – and it has a museum!
As we have already mentioned, Lisbon is the real kingdom of azujelos. This is where one of the most delightful places in all of Portugal is located.
Museu Nacional do Azulejo was created in 1965 and was announced 15 years later by the National Museum. It is located in the former monastery of Madre Deus , which was founded by Queen Leonora in 1509. The monastery was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1755, and its interiors were one of the most magnificent in the whole of Lisbon – today it is in them just the museum collection azujelos. Visiting them, it is impossible to avoid getting to know the architecture of the former Monastery of St. Mary – the perfect collection was fitted into the monastery room. The most impressive, however, is the richly decorated church. It is worth paying attention to, among others on the Chapel of St. Anthony with an 18th-century Baroque decoration by André Gonçalves.
We can safely say that we will not find such a museum in any other corner of Europe – it presents the development of azulejos tiles – from the 15th century to the present. We will learn techniques, familiarize ourselves with materials, we will be able to explore the secrets and secrets of the product … A valuable element of the collection of the Lisbon museum is the azulejos composition, which presents the panorama of Lisbon before the tragic consequences of the 1755 earthquake. It consists of over 1,300 elements and was made in 1738. . Can you imagine this view? 🙂
The beautiful place where you can soak up the azulejos beauty is without a doubt the Palace of Fronteira . It’s one of those unique treasures of big cities that is still waiting to be discovered. If you want to experience this extraordinary journey – then visit the Big Travel blog! Standing ovation, collecting jaws from the floor and immediate desire to leave – guaranteed!
And so azulejos present themselves in everyday use … Who wants to live? 🙂
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