Tiles are deeply steeped into the Portuguese cultural fabric. Decorating palatial buildings, humble houses, church façades, and public walls, tiles are ubiquitous in Portugal. This tradition dates back to the 13th century, when the Moor conquered the Iberian Peninsula. The Portuguese word for tile, azulejo, comes from the Arabic word الزليج (al-zellij), which refers to polished stones used for mosaics. In line with Moorish aesthetic sensibilities, the earliest examples of Portuguese tiles exhibit geometric patterns, but the art of tiling evolved through the centuries, undergoing radical changes. The National Tile…
