Museu do azulejo

What does Museu Nacional do Azulejo mean?

The Museu Nacional do Azulejo ( Portuguese for National Museum of the Azulejo ), occasionally known in English as the National Tile Museum, is an art museum in Lisbon, Portugal dedicated to the azulejo, traditional tilework of Portugal and the former Portuguese Empire, as well as of other Iberophone cultures.

What to see at the Azulejo Museum in Madrid?

The specialty of azulejo making exists until today and the gallery has various current tiles from the twentieth century. The Azulejo Museum initially opened its entryways in 1965 as a bureau of the National Museum of Ancient Art. It turned into an autonomous and national historical center just in 1980.

Where to find azulejos in Lisbon?

The radiant gathering is housed in the fifteenth-century Madre de Deus community. For quite a long time, azulejos have been a most loved ornamental component in Lisbon, and samples can be discovered everywhere throughout the city.

What are azulejos and where do they come from?

The scenes on the tiles regularly reflect their area: houses of worship have azulejos with religious topics, restaurants may have tiles indicating poultry or pigs etc. The historical backdrop of azulejos can be followed back to the Moors, who initially delivered tiles with geometric examples in the fourteenth century.

What makes Lisbons Museu Nacional do Azulejo unique?

Housed in a sublime 16th-century convent, Lisbons Museu Nacional do Azulejo covers the entire azulejo (hand-painted tile) spectrum. Star exhibits feature a 36m-long panel depicting pre-earthquake Lisbon, a Manueline cloister with web-like vaulting and exquisite blue-and-white azulejos, and a gold-smothered baroque chapel.

What is the National Tile Museum in Lisbon?

A 16th-century convent is now the National Tile Museum T ile art is a common feature throughout the Mediterranean, but only Lisbon has a museum exclusively dedicated to it. It’s a must-see, one-of-a-kind attraction, housed in a magnificent old convent from 1509, and with a collection featuring pieces going back to the 1400s.

Why visit the Portuguese Museum of tiles?

It explains the origins and evolution of the art in Portugal, which ended up being the country with the vastest and most innovative uses of tiles. From the old convent remains a small Manueline (a Portuguese Gothic and Renaissance style) cloister and a stunning church, which makes the museum one of Lisbon’s most beautiful sights.

When was the National Tile Museum in Madrid established?

The National Tile Museum was established in 1965 and became a National Museum in 1980. It is located in the former Convent of Madre Deus, founded by Queen D. Leonor in 1509.

What happened to Lisbon’s azulejos?

In the 1950s, the construction of the Lisbon Metro halted the snobby azulejo demotion. The new metro stations were decorated with the tiles, and were an acclaimed hit. This jump started an azulejo revival. Large public works were commissioned. Diverse and abstract azulejos took over the streets.

How to visit the Quinta dos azulejos in Lisbon?

Take a stroll through the garden at the Quinta dos Azulejos, or “Estate of the Azulejos”, located in north Lisbon. To reach there, hop on the 703 bus and get dropped off around the corner or take the yellow metro line and get out at Ameixoeira stop.

What are azulejos?

Azulejos are Portuguese to the core. In the beginning, azulejo tiles were geometric and mostly blue, hewing to their namesake word, “azul,” which is Portuguese for blue. Slowly, azulejos became more elaborate. In the 17th century, artists created designs with flowers, birds, dolphins, and cherubs.

What is the oldest surviving azulejo panel in Portugal?

It’s lavishly decorated with gilded wood, gemstones, and azulejos. In fact, it’s home to the oldest surviving azulejo panel in Portugal, from 1584. The famous tiles cover the walls of its star attraction, the Capela de São João Baptist.