Spanish tiles: Azulejo Museum

Azulejo – Portuguese painted tiles, which are usually square in shape and covered with glaze. Lisbon is home to the museum, which houses the largest collection of azuleju and other ceramic products made in Portugal. The oldest copies date back to the XV century. Among the most valuable exhibits is a panel dedicated to the Lisbon earthquake of 1755. In addition to ancient objects, there are tiles created by masters of modernity.

The museum is located on the territory of the Monastery of the Mother of God, founded in 1509. Azulezha began to be brought here in the second half of the XIX century. In 1954, the collection of tiles became so extensive that the former monastery was made part of the National Museum of Ancient Art, and four years later it was reorganized into a separate museum.

The exhibition shows the stages of development of azuleju in Portugal from the very beginning to the present day. In the XIX century, the country began the industrial production of these tiles. They decorated palaces, churches, and other buildings inside and out.