Azulejos — The Art of Tiles

Azulejos are Portugal's most distinctive visual contribution to world culture. These painted, glazed ceramic tiles adorn churches, palaces, train stations, subway stations, house facades, fountains, and staircases — they are ubiquitous and turn every Portuguese city into an open-air museum.

The name "Azulejo" does not come from the Portuguese "azul" (blue), as often assumed, but from the Arabic "az-zulaij" (polished stone). The Moors brought the technique to Portugal in the 15th century, where it developed into a unique art form unparalleled elsewhere.

The Development Over the Centuries

• 15th–16th Century: Geometric, polychrome patterns following Moorish models. Magnificently seen in the Palácio Nacional de Sintra
• 17th Century: Influence of Dutch Delft tiles — the typical blue-and-white motifs emerge. Biblical scenes, historical battles, and everyday scenes are transferred onto large tile pictures
• 18th Century: Baroque exuberance — entire church interiors are clad with azulejos. The Igreja de São Lourenço in Almancil (Algarve) is a masterpiece of this era
• 19th Century: Factory production makes azulejos affordable — for the first time, house facades are completely clad with them, especially in Porto and Lisbon
• 20th–21st Century: Contemporary artists like Maria Keil (Lisbon subway stations) and Joana Vasconcelos reinterpret the tradition

The Most Beautiful Azulejo Places

The Museu Nacional do Azulejo in Lisbon (in the former Madre de Deus Convent) offers the best overview — from the beginnings to the present. A highlight is a 23-meter-long panorama of Lisbon before the 1755 earthquake. The São Bento train station in Porto (over 20,000 tiles telling the history of Portugal) is another must-see. The Capela das Almas chapel in Porto and the facade of the Igreja do Carmo are also spectacular.

A serious problem is azulejo theft: Historical tiles are stolen from facades and sold on the black market. Portugal has therefore enacted strict laws to protect azulejos and started a cataloging project (SOS Azulejo).