Art

Portuguese tiles (azulejos) originate from ceramic decoration developed in Egypt and brought to the Iberian Peninsula by the Arabs during the 13th century. The word azulejo itself comes from the Arabic term al-zulaich, meaning “small polished stone.” Initially, this “polished stone” referred to small fragments broken from a larger piece, with irregular shapes. Once introduced in Spain and Portugal, this practice evolved significantly, becoming simplified, standardized, and adapted to Western styles. The first Portuguese tile workshops date back to the early 16th century, based on the Moorish technique and later developing into the faience technique, which was derived from Italian majolica.