To Know Portugal, Explore Azulejo Tilework

[mspath]

Dena Levitz in this current article
published in the Smithsonian Magazine describes/illustrates the importance of selected historic Portuguese tiles but also some contemporary examples such as within Lisbon neighborhoods. Perhaps you may have seen these or other examples while on a camino.

 

[trecile]

Thanks for the article.
I regret that I didn't have time to visit the Azulejo museum in Lisbon this year.
Next time!

 

[J Willhaus]

So beautiful!

 

[peregrina2000]

The Fronteira Palace is kind of off the beaten path but very much worth a visit too. I especiallly liked the gardens, so if you are not interested in trapsing through another opulent palace (though one with gorgeous tiles), paying the 6€ to walk around the gardens might be just the thing. The gardens have some beautiful tiles as well, and you can wander around without a guide, unlike on the inside.

 

[K_Lynn]

Ooooh! thanks for this!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

The Pinhao train station along the Duoro river valley has beautiful azuleju tiles depicting the area with its impressive vineyards; clicking through the tile photos on the link shows all 25 tiles. I was very impressed when I was in the area a few years ago.
"One of the most beautiful Railway stations in Portugal, located in the heart of the Douro region. The station’s façades are decorated with 25 azulejo panels, that portray work in the vineyards and local landscapes. It is one of the main tourist attractions in the zone."

Pinhão Railway Station - Aleluia Cerâmicas

The Pinhão Railway Station, on the Douro line, was built in the 19th century and is a must visit for anyone visiting the Douro region. In 1937 the station received the panels of tiles that gave it notoriety and turned it into the most beautiful Railway Station of the Douro. These, in a total of...

aleluia.pt

 

[peregrina2000]

@mspath, this article was the reason I went back to the Tile Museum and the Fronteira Palace during my recent stay in Lisbon. It is true that there is no shortage of tiles to enjoy in Lisbon, in churches, on buildings, just about everywhere you look, but those two places are both very interesting. The Tile Museum has a decent little café as well. It’s chapel is one of those gilded over the top places, and I thought it was interesting that on one side of the chapel the tiles depicted religious scenes, while the other side was filles with gardens, hunting, animals, all sorts of irreligious depictions. I couldn’t find anyone to ask about why that would have been the case.

The Fronteira Palace requires you to take a guided tour to go in the house (but not to walk around the gardens, which have some awesome tiles as well), and the docent was a British woman with some personal ties to the Marqués’ family. So the tour was definitely much better than your average canned tour and narrated in totally comprehensible English!

The Fronteira Palace is a bit off the beaten path, but we took an Uber there. On the way back, since we didn’t have any data and there was no wifi, and there were no cabs driving around, we just walked (10-15 minutes) over the pedestrian crossway and got ourselves onto the Estrada de Benfica, where there was a good selection of buses to take us back to the center.

The Caminho from Lisbon goes right by the Tile Museum, but it is not likely to be open for visiting when you walk by.

 

[mspath]

@mspath, this article was the reason I went back to the Tile Museum and the Fronteira Palace during my recent stay in Lisbon. It is true that there is no shortage of tiles to enjoy in Lisbon, in churches, on buildings, just about everywhere you look, but those two places are both very interesting. The Tile Museum has a decent little café as well. It’s chapel is one of those gilded over the top places, and I thought it was interesting that on one side of the chapel the tiles depicted religious scenes, while the other side was filles with gardens, hunting, animals, all sorts of irreligious depictions. I couldn’t find anyone to ask about why that would have been the case.

The Fronteira Palace requires you to take a guided tour to go in the house (but not to walk around the gardens, which have some awesome tiles as well), and the docent was a British woman with some personal ties to the Marqués’ family. So the tour was definitely much better than your average canned tour and narrated in totally comprehensible English!

The Fronteira Palace is a bit off the beaten path, but we took an Uber there. On the way back, since we didn’t have any data and there was no wifi, and there were no cabs driving around, we just walked (10-15 minutes) over the pedestrian crossway and got ourselves onto the Estrada de Benfica, where there was a good selection of buses to take us back to the center.

The Caminho from Lisbon goes right by the Tile Museum, but it is not likely to be open for visiting when you walk by.

peregrina2000,
Thanks for your informative update and photos. Glad that you both were able to walk and see these stunning examples.
I have often thought that a blue and white color scheme and format similar to a typical historic Azuejo such as in Sao Bento station, Porto, would be an attractive cover for a Portuguese credencial.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Your tile pictures are beautiful, Laurie!
Maybe other forum members can add their favorites.
Here are a "few" of mine.



This last pic is not of tiles, but still pretty!