November 9, 2026

Everywhere you look in Portugal (and frequently in Brazil and Cape Verde) you find Azulejo, painted ceramic tiles. Azujelo is from the Arabic Al-zullij, “polished stone.” They were developed by the Moors who painted mud bricks. When fire swept through towns, burning wooden roofs and building frames, the paint baked onto the bricks, accidentally creating tiles. Later, they were used on the outside of homes to keep fire from spreading.

Some experts say the tiles originated in Egypt and moved west with Islam, some say they have an earlier Persian origin. And while I couldn’t find references to the tiles originating by accident, they do serve as fire protection. Tiles on the outside of buildings also reflect sunlight keeping the building cool. Tiles inside a building also have a cooling effect. This is the result of a process called passive radiative cooling. Passive radiative cooling happens when “The energy a material absorbs exceeds the energy it emits.” The tiles absorb heat during the day and do not release it until the temperature cools at night, keeping temperatures inside a space even.

As you will see, I love the look of tiles. Living in Florida many of the homes follow the “Palm Beach” look, lots of mauve and light gray exteriors and yes, we have tile roofs but nothing like the ornate designs you see throughout Lisbon.

Originally, the tiles bore geometric designs, without human forms, as befits an Islamic art form. Some of the earliest Arabic tiles repeated patterns the Arabs found in Roman mosaics.

In Christian Portugal and Spain, they also became a medium for drawing scenes and depicting people. The blue tiles by Delft in Holland influenced the art form in Portugal in two ways. Blue became the most popular Portuguese tile color, and the Dutch perfected a way of mass-producing tiles that the Portuguese copied. The tiles below are from a convent we visited showing the atrocities that the conquering Moors inflicted on Christians during their conquest of Iberia.

The tradition of decorating with tiles remains active in Lisbon. Modern artists have moved their canvas outside impacting entire landscapes with their intriguing designs. Here are a few examples.

A few sea days now as we leave the mainland of Portugal and head to the first of the Canary Islands, Arrecife.

Thanks for traveling with us.