Portuguese Azulejos

There are diverse things that Portugal is well known for and that you will see a lot if you visit the country too, like Pastéis de Nata, surf, Port wine, cod fish and sardines, trams and also tiles, or better-called azulejos, that you could find covering the walls or facades of many buildings and as decorations.

Azulejos are originally from Egypt and there were decorative tiles and bricks even before them, in Babylon and Assyria, but they have existed in Portugal since the 13th century, back when the Moors invaded the country and Spain, however, they started taking part in Portuguese culture around the 16th and 17th century. This is why the word azulejo comes from Arabic roots and it means “small polished stone”, and in its origins, they were very simple small geometric shapes in neutral colors. Also, tiles are called Azulejos in Portugal, because Azulejos is the word for tiles in Portuguese.

The tiles were introduced in Portugal after King Manuel I visited Seville, where they were imported to the country from the south of Spain. The story says that he was amazed by the tiles’ brilliance and that he wanted them to decorate the walls of his palace, the now-known National Palace of Sintra. In the beginning, the azulejos were made in a very simple color palette, which included white and blue and these are still the most popular, and some of the reasons for these two colors are that they were very popular in the era when azulejos, where introduced in the country, and blue was associated to power and wealth but it has also some influence from the white and blue Chinese and Dutch porcelain.

If you wonder now how azulejos are made, you need to know too that the first azulejos factory dates from the 18th century in the capital of Portugal, Lisbon, and the process of making them used in those times are mostly still preserved until now. Considering this, the process of making them consists of a first step where they are baked in an oven, then the outer part is glazed and afterward, they are painted by hand by artists. However, industrialization has also taken part in azulejos production where new techniques like the transfer-print method were introduced, but the hand-painted ones are still the most popular.

Last but not least, if you want to get to know more about the whole history of azulejos, its origins, and evolution and appreciate their art throughout the years, don’t miss out on the Museu Nacional do Azulejo. There you’ll be able to see well-preserved tiles from the beginning of them in the country and learn how they are part of Portuguese culture. The museum is in Lisbon and located in the Xabregas neighborhood, halfway between Santa Apolónia and Parque das Nações, and it takes part in an old convent building from the 1500s. It is a worthwhile experience, a must-see in the city that we really recommend  to get immersed in Portuguese culture.