By Georgia Dougherty

When traveling, we tend to prioritize the locations we chose for various reasons: the climate, the food, the culture, the nightlife, the adventures, or a combination of all of these. A tile hardly seems like an artifact to get on a flight for, but the amount of history and culture behind this particular tile, azulejos, may influence your next choice of destination.

I first learned about azulejos in an art history module- The Portuguese Renaissance - and then had the privilege of traveling to places where they are ubiquitous: Lisbon, Seville, and Fes. My travels have allowed me to continue my art historical love affair with these tiles and encounter them in a new geographical and cultural context over and over again.

A picture of me with a fountain covered in tiles in Fes

The term azulejos comes from the Arabic word azzelij, meaning “little polished stone” and its production dates back to the 13th century. They were developed in North Africa and then imported to the Iberian Peninsula. The origin of this art form comes from Islamic and Mudejar tiles as the Muslim empires were responsible for the techniques and spread of azulejos to Southern Spain and then, in the 16th century, to Portugal, where they became very popular. These tiles were used to cover interior walls and facades of religious, public, and private buildings; in Lisbon today they can even be seen covering the walls of subway and railway stations.

While in Fes, I experienced azulejos on an incredible scale. In Morocco, the use of tiles was influenced by Chinese ceramics, so they covered walls and floors both indoors and outdoors. The Moorish tradition of covering walls completely with ornamentation is obvious around Fes, where the tile work is intensely intricate. Azulejos also serve a functional role, besides their artistic possibilities; Fes was hot and dry, and tiles are effective for temperature control, keeping surfaces cool during intense heat. As the Moors invaded the Iberian Peninsula, Seville became a major center of the Hispano-Moresque tile industry.

The courtyard of the mosque of University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fes

Workshops in Seville were developing tiles in the 15th century, where they used techniques such as cuenca. King Manuel I of Portugal visited Seville in 1503 and learned how to make and paint these tiles. Influenced by the global aesthetic that spread from Dutch and Chinese porcelain, tiles were often painted in the trendy colors of blue and white and with many forms and ornamental motifs inspired by Eastern ceramics. According to legend, Manuel became so enamored with the Royal Alcazar in Seville, that he wanted his own equivalent palace, the result of which is the Palace of Sintra that is azulejo-embellished and just 30 minutes outside Lisbon.

The interior of the Royal Alcázar of Seville

In the seventeenth century, Portugal developed the ability to make tiles and did so in their own tradition. Manuel symbolized his reign with the armillary sphere - an icon of his reign that saw immense expansion through imperial trade, empire, and colonization. The armillary sphere can be seen all over Portugal, notably as a detail on the Tower of Belém, but also artistically painted on azulejos.

Armillary spheres painted onto Azulejos in Lisbon

As Portugal was now making its own tiles, the subject matter became more localized, as can be seen in Gabriel del Barco’s Panoramic View of Lisbon, 1700, which depicts the cityscape of Lisbon in blue and white azulejos before the infamous earthquake that destroyed most of the city. The localized production of tiles allowed azulejos to be included in churches, palaces, houses, restaurants, bars, schools, and more. For example, azulejos that depict monks can be found within the refectory of the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon.

The refectory of the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon featuring yellow and blue azulejo panels

Azulejos in Portugal can be found everywhere, from ordinary houses to huge monasteries. The effect of the tiles on the beautification of the city is astounding and creates a different effect than the tiles in the Alcazar of Seville or the tiles on the arches of Fes. Each city’s use of tiles and the effects they create are unique and intricate. The historical, artistic, and cultural significance of azulejos is immense. These are truly global artifacts, and besides their obvious aesthetic importance, these tiles are vessels for history and learning.