When you start thinking about Portugal, I bet several things would come to your mind: Port wine, seafood, surfing, Cristiano Ronaldo, and… azulejos! Even if you are not familiar with them, you could see glazed ceramic tiles in Portuguese facades.
Azulejos appeared in the 13th century, when the Moors invaded the land that now belongs to Spain and Portugal. The word azulejo stems from Arabic roots, meaning “small polished stone”. Originally they were mostly simple structures cut into geometric shapes in neutral tones.
The tiles were used to decorate the large areas of blank boring walls that were common inside buildings during the Gothic period.
During the last couple of centuries, the use of azulejos exploded. Today, it is common to see them decorating churches, monasteries, restaurants, bars, railway and subway stations, palaces, and regular homes outside. They are also used extensively in interior decoration.
Nowadays, the azulejos are a dominant feature in every Portuguese city and can be seen even in the villages. In addition to public buildings and private homes, they are used as street signs, to decorate public benches, and along beach walls. And of course plenty of souvenirs such as magnets, bibelots, postcards, are waiting to be purchased by tourists everywhere in Portugal.
Here is my collection of small pieces of Portuguese facades.
P.S. Now I want to redecorate my shower room with such ceramic tiles!
