Museu Nacional do Azulejo - National Tile Museum
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About half the way through the tile exhibit you step into the breathtaking Chapel of St. Anthony and suddenly remember you are actually in a convent. The Madre de Deus Convent was founded in 1509 by Queen D. Leonor, sister of Manuel I and widow of King João II. This break from the tile exhibits reveals a stunning baroque display of gilded wood, blue and white tiles with religious themes, and a paneled ceiling.
For those of us who enjoy the look, texture and inspiration found in well crafted ceramics, a walk through the history, tiles and ceramics is an exciting enlightening and educational experience. The Museu Nacional do Azulejo, Lisbon’s National Tile Museum, fulfills all of those needs in a three hour excursion through Portugal’s history and relationship with tile.
There is something about tile that touches all people. In the early 15th century, the tile we see has the basic blue and white colors telling stories of great moments in Portuguese history, both secular and religious. On some, there is a Moorish influence with tiles which do not portray events but are simple calligraphy arranged in various designs.
Another aspect is the basic durability which comes with well constructed and fired tiles. These tiles, adorning the exterior of grand government buildings and simple homes, provide an exterior which has little maintenance and can last hundreds of years.
Along with religion there is also mythology. This tile, Neptune and Choronis, comes from the workshop of Agostine de Paiva, in Coimbra, between 1700-1720. As the tiles became more important other regions, such as Coimbra, rose up in competition with Lisbon. In this tile Coronis, a Thessialian princess and a lover of the god Apollo is fleeing Neptune, the god of the oceans, and as she flees she turns into a crow.
The Tile Museum was established in 1965 and designated a National Museum in 1980. The Convent of Madre Deus where it is housed was founded in 1509. The convent building adds beautifully to the tile settings of the church. It contains Brazilian wood cabinets and carved wood frames for the numerous paintings. The Chapel of St. Anthony is decorated in 18th century Baroque.
The exhibition starts by presenting the materials and techniques necessary to make tile, then proceeds through the collection in chronological order. The tile collection begins in the second half of the 15th century and proceeds to the present day. Items include tiles for interior and exterior walls, religious and historical events, and new looks in three dimensional tiles.
The collection also includes decorative ceramics, porcelain and faience (tin-glazed earthenware) from the 19th to 20th century.
Toward the conclusion of the exhibit, on one of the upper floors, we saw this marvelous tile progression based on the Tagus River shoreline of Lisbon before the 1755 earthquake. The earthquake and tsunami devastated the center section of the city, but it is recreated in the last three photos of the slideshow of this incredible tile work which covers three walls.
Do not miss the small, but very good restaurant beside the gift shop. The restaurant serves an excellent lunch, or snack break, in a relaxed garden setting. The gift shop, while it does not ship purchases, is worth the time to browse its stunning selection of items.