June 24, 2022
We had a little extra time before dinner and decided to visit something that was on our "B List" for Lisbon: the National Azulejo Museum. Azulejo is the Portuguese word for "tile," and as the word is used in Lisbon, it refers to a specific painted tin-glazed ceramic tile. Azulejos are everywhere in Portugal; in fact, they are probably the most iconic image of the country (at least for me). The Azulejo Museum houses one of the largest ceramics collections in the world.
If we make it back to Lisbon, I want to spend more time using the metro system. I've read that almost every station has a unique azulejo mural.
The National Azulejo Museum was a nice blend of old and new. One of my favorite modern pieces is this whimsical blue bird with a terribly unimaginative name.
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| Wall Plate by Ellen Jensen (1977) |
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| Gold framed azulejo: Devotional tile panel: Our Lady of Conception, St. Marcal, St. Francis of Borjia, and Souls in Purgatory (1758) Lower border azulejo: Ashlar with Hunting Scenes (c. 1740) |
