Porto Portugal Blue Tiles

Porto portugal fountain the fountain of lions sited in the centre of.

Porto portugal blue tiles.

The azulejo tile is one of the first things we couldn t help but notice in porto they re everywhere the beautiful ceramic tiles embellish the facades of many buildings and as we roamed the city we noticed the eye catching tiles decorating everything from benches street signs and fountains. Within the dark and gothic cloisters of porto s cathedral you can t help but be taken back by the blue and white work of the azulejos art. São bento railway station portuguese. Covered with floor to ceiling blue and white tiles.

Souvenir shops sell refrigerator magnets with the ornate blue and white floral patterns. The tiles are part of portugal s national identity. When someone mentions portugal a few things come to mind. These painted ceramic tiles or azulejos cover the fronts of churches and houses all across portugal.

Port wine lisbon seafood surfing and azulejos even visitors who aren t familiar with the term may see images of these glazed ceramic tiles in their mind s eye. In portugal most of the tiles you find combine the colours white and blue mainly. Estação ferroviária de são bento is a 20th century railway terminal in the civil parish of cedofeita santo ildefonso sé miragaia são nicolau e vitória in the municipality of porto district of porto the english translation of são bento is saint benedict. Azulejos are found on the interior and exterior of churches palaces ordinary houses schools and nowadays restaurants bars and even railways or subway stations they are an ornamental art form but also had a.

It took researchers some time to discover who was the true artist behind the 5 56m by 3 50m azulejo tiles in porto s cathedral. And you honestly see them everywhere from churches and monasteries to simple houses. Porto is portugal s second largest city a modern metropolis home to 210 000 people but the city s heart still lies in its medieval old city porto ribeira. These predominant colours were considered very fashionable at the time of the age of discoveries from the 15th to the 18th centuries.

From the arabic az zellīj الزليج is a form of portuguese and spanish painted tin glazed ceramic tilework. 18th century baroque architecture covered with portuguese blue tiles. Deeply embedded in portugal s history and culture there are countless wonderful examples of these beautiful tiles.