Over the past few years, the glazed tiles, or azulejos, that define Portuguese culture have attracted the attention of many tourists. But when did this tradition begin? It originated after the earthquake that struck Portugal in 1755, when artisans of the time began hand-painting each tile. Over time, they have also become an important part of the city’s trade and a way to create art. In this post, we will highlight the most iconic places in Porto where these tiles play a significant role. Additionally, we will explain how some azulejos hide stories about Portugal.
Chapel of the Souls
This chapel, also known as the Church of Santa Catarina, is a building you cannot miss on your visit to Porto. Originally, the chapel’s azulejos were painted entirely white. Today, there are a total of 16,000 tiles, which over the years have been painted with various religious scenes. Tile coverings in churches or other religious buildings are not very common, but Porto has quite a few examples. This chapel stands out not only for the sheer number of tiles but also for the designs depicted on each of them. You can find paintings of different scenes from the lives of Saint Catherine and Saint Francis of Assisi, as the chapel was built in their honor. They are painted by Eduardo do Leite, a painter commissioned for this type of work. The tiles have been restored a couple of times: the first due to the passage of time, and the second because of damage caused by metro construction.
Saint Ildefons Church
This church, located at Praça da Batalha, also features a considerable number of azulejos that are just as impressive as those in the previous chapel. Although the church was designed by Nicolau Nasoni, the 11,000 tiles on the main façade are the work of the artist Jorge Colaço, who also created the tiles at São Bento Station. The stained glass windows depict parts of the story of Saint Ildefonso and the Gospel. The church has been considered a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996.
At the church’s main entrance, you can see the remains of an old cemetery, visible before the construction of the bell tower and atrium.
FUN FACT
Sao Bento Station
This train station is a must-visit on your trip to Porto. It features over 20,000 glazed ceramic tiles along its walls, covering a total of 551 square meters.
These tiles tell part of the history that shapes modern Portugal, depicting various battles and events that occurred over the centuries. On the lower section, the blue and white tiles illustrate some conquests and battles, such as the conquest of Ceuta. On the upper section, you can see tiles in different colors, which depict the story of the station’s construction.
Do Carmo Church
Located near the Clérigos Tower, this Baroque church does not immediately stand out for its azulejos, as the main Rococo-style granite façade dominates at first glance. However, turning to the side, you can see a mosaic filled with glazed tiles featuring intricate details that make it unique. The church was designed by the architect José de Figueiredo Seixas between 1756 and 1762 and belongs to the Order of the Carmelites and Mount Carmel. However, the azulejos were added in 1912 and are the work of Silvestre Silvestri. This artwork depicts the legend of the founding of the Carmelite order, in honor of the Carmelite Church. These two churches, colloquially known as “Siamese,” are actually separated by a small building, the HIDDEN HOUSE.
San Pedro of Miragaia Church
This church, less touristy than the others, is located in the historic area and is dedicated to the fishermen of São Pedro. It was built in the 18th century on Rua do Baredo, the street around which the rest of the city’s streets and buildings developed. Inside, it features a wealth of intricate details that make it truly unique.
Saint Antoni dos Congregados Church
This church, located next to Praça da Liberdade, features a façade covered with azulejos similar to those found on many other churches throughout the city. You can also notice some yellow details that stand out compared to the others.
Da Sé Cathedral
Porto's Cathedral, or Sé do Porto, built between the 12th and 13th centuries in the historic center of the city, does not stand out for the azulejos on its main façade, as it follows a Romanesque-Gothic style. It is in the cathedral’s cloister where you can find several glazed tiles depicting Ovid’s Metamorphoses, adding a special charm to the building. Likewise, if you climb the stairs to the upper part of the cloister, you will also see a tile mural representing the four elements: water, air, earth, and fire.
Saint Nicolau Church
This church, built at the end of the 17th century, is located next to the Palácio da Bolsa and also features several columns decorated with blue and white painted tiles, following the city’s chromatic style. The church was originally a medieval temple, which disappeared after a fire and was later rebuilt to form the current church. If you continue along the same street, you’ll reach the Ribeira district.
Joana Vasconcelos' mural
This mural, better known as Steak n’Shake for the burger joint next to it, is another work of urban art that stands out from all the ones you can find on the streets. This mural is about 20 meters long and contains about 8000 tiles, of different colors that are hand-painted one by one.
Ribeira Negra
In Ribeira Negra, under the Don Luis I bridge, there is a tile mural created by Júlio Resende in 1987. The contemporary art paintings that can be seen there try to evoke the hustle and bustle and essence that characterizes the Ribeira area, popular culture and community. There are deformed figures that characterize women from the Ribeira market, fishermen, children, workers and some popular characters. This mural is 40 meters long and is one of the most modern that can be found walking around the city.
Others
Throughout the city, you can also find different glazed tiles grouped together to form mosaics and works of art. You can find these in different houses, on the streets, on walls and hidden in buildings, you just have to look carefully while visiting the city and let yourself be carried away by the colors and charm they have.
The Bolhao Market contains details inside that are made of tiles, as well as on some facades. You can also see tiles in the Casa da Música, these in different colors than the traditional blue and white tiles. You can also find them in shops, public transport, as well as in hanging murals that you can look for throughout your visit to Porto.
Total azulejos number
Finally, I leave you here a classification of the 3 monuments with the greatest number of tiles that have been discussed in this publication.
Sao Bento Station
Més de 20000
Chapel of the Souls
15947
Saint Ildefons Church
11000
Do Carmo Church
?
Saint Ildefons Church, Da Misericordia, Saint Nicolau...
?
It isn't known the exact number of tiles in the Carmo Church and the rest of the buildings that have been detailed, so I encourage you to count them on your next visit to Porto and leave the approximate number in the comments. In what position do you think the following are located?
Thanks for coming this far, I'm reading you!
