A few interesting facts about Portugal
Portugal is one of the oldest nations in Europe having established its continental frontier back in 1297 and has remained as such ever since. Since 1143, the country became a fully independent kingdom, and later a nation state, that is, when the first Portuguese King Dom Afonso Henriques rebelled against his mother, Dona Teresa of Portugal Countess of Portugal, as the Archbishop of Braga and the main Portuguese feudal nobles as well as war lords had had enough of her persistent Galician alliance. Soon thereafter, the Queen was deposed following a short civil war and her son and heir, Afonso, defeated Teresa’s troops at the Battle of São Mamede near Guimarães. He forced his mother, along with the Count of Traba and their children, into exile in the Kingdom of Galicia, near the Portuguese border.
The year 1415, was the year that set the tone for centuries to come where innovation, risk taking, and vision were qualities never used before early in the history of Portugal. Under the guidance of Prince Henry “The Navigator”, the Portuguese set sail on epic voyages that would make them the first to discover the ocean routes to India, Brazil, China and Japan, while at the same time founding settlements on both African coasts. Prince Henry was not just an adventurer but also an innovator and visionary on the science of navigating the oceans. Traces of this worldwide historic presence may be seen as trademarks of the Portuguese culture.
The Portuguese language became one of the most widely spoken in the world, and the Portuguese people were privileged for being exposed to so many different civilizations. The vast monumental, artistic and archaeological heritage witness not only the 850 years of history of encounters with distant cultures, but also the presence in the territory of more ancient peoples such as the Celts, Visigoths, Romans and the Arabs.
Henry the Navigator…Dom Henrique o Navegador, Duque de Viseu, Senhor (lord) da Covilhã but preferably referred to by the Portuguese as INFANTE D. HENRIQUE, was born March 4, 1394, in Porto, and died November 13, 1460, in Vila do Infante, near Sagres.
Henry was the third surviving son of King John I, who founded the House of Aviz and Philippa of Lancaster, with the daughter of John of Gaunt of England. Henry and his older brothers, the princes Duarte (Edward) and Pedro, were educated under the supervision of their parents. Henry emerged with pronounced tastes for chivalric romance and astrological literature, as well as with ambitions to take part in military campaigns and, if possible, win a kingdom for himself.
As a result, the Portuguese prince was a central figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire and especially in the 15th century European maritime discoveries and expansions. It was through his administrative direction that he was regarded as the main initiator of the Age of Discovery, as he was responsible for the early development of Portuguese exploration and maritime trade with other continents through his explorations of Western Africa, the islands of the Atlantic Ocean and the many searches for new routes.
Portugal remained a colonial power until the mid-1970s, when a peaceful revolution, known as the Red carnation Revolution transformed the country from a dictatorship of 40 years into a free democratic country.
By March of 1974, many generals, captains and others in the armed forces of Portugal were against the Salazar regime and their ongoing wars/support for continued colonialism, which led to a vast majority of its leaders along with the population to quickly approve the decolonization and therefore bring an end to the bloody and costly wars that were taking place.
And so, just before midnight on April 24th, Portugal’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest “E Depois do Adeus”…And After The Farewell…was played by the radio station Emissores Associados de Lisboa, which was arranged by the rebels of the country, many had understood that this was the first of two secret signals that the army was waiting for. The following day, in the early hours, tanks entered the center of Lisbon to quickly take over the airport, television and radio stations as well as the “Salazar Bridge” which we now know as the 25 de Abril Bridge.
Unlike many military coups, almost no shots were fired, and instead, red carnations were given to soldiers by the jubilant crowds to celebrate the overthrow of the government. The soldiers placed the flowers inside their guns and pinned them on their uniforms. Carnations soon became THE symbol of the revolution and its success in bringing democracy to Portugal. This revolution is still very much celebrated in the 21st Century which ended Europe’s longest-surviving authoritarian regime.
LEGEND OF THE HAND PAINTED TILE
First, let’s introduce you to the shop and artists who helped Simone and Patrick with this very extraordinary project.
XVIII, located in two areas of Lisbon
XVIII was founded, in 2018, with the purpose of manufacturing tiles and potteries fully handcrafted, hand-painted according to ancient methods and following traditional models, primarily of the 18th Century; which was the golden age of tiles in Portugal
Despite the remarkable relevance of tiles and potteries in the context of art in Portugal, the truth is, that tiles and potteries produced and marketed in Portugal in the last decades, even hand painted ones, have become more “industrialized” and to some extent could be said to have lost their soul. In fact, in an age of massification and homogenization, in the homeland of Portugal and in the city of tiles, that is the city of Lisbon, most tiles that are now sold, are printed replicas and usually imported from abroad.
The tiles, however, from XIII carefully represent the timeless beauty and unique character of the national tile and potteries, through its manufacturing process, that is, by definition, these tiles remain irregular and unique, with no two pieces being the same.
When Simone and Patrick first visited XIII, there was an immediate connection with Alberto, and the artists, because just like them, they too, strongly believe that perfection is actually being courageously imperfect. Visiting their store and work shop, one can see how their tiles exude imperfection all the while looking ever so delicately perfect each telling a story, historical, cultural and so on…of centuries’ old tradition with handcrafted tiles and potteries.
XIII and its many artists continue to follow generations of ancestral handmade and hand painted methods. IT is worth a visit, if you are in Lisbon.
When we shared our ideas for a different type of hand painted tiles that would help us promote and enlighten our visitors of the regions represented here at the Refúgio, and in our bungalows, Alberto jumped at the idea! Several months later, with boundless patience, dedication and incredible artistic work, Alberto and his team have more than met our goal!
We are very grateful for their open minded enthusiasm and their and commitment, they all had for our project, here at the Quinta. Whatever hand painted tiles, you see throughout Quinta Nere Maitia, all of them have been made by the brilliant artists of XVIII
The Team of XVIII
At XVIII, the various stages of the manufacture of tiles you see here and in their stores, are all hand made by some of the most talented artists, with dozens of years of experience in the sector. Although each one of these artists have fascinating, very different profiles and life stories, truly, they do, unexpectedly so, what they DO have in common is their passion for such long lost artisanry ….the talent of hand painting tiles and their potteries. (Want to read more about the origin of our own hand painted tiles –per the explanation of XVIII’s website — https://www.xviii.pt/pt/tiles-and-pottery)
Brief history of the Portuguese AZULEJO
As many of you will notice, throughout the country, from very small villages to the largest of cities, such as Lisbon and Porto, tiles —outdoor OR indoor — are a highly distinctive symbol of Portuguese culture, art and, ultimately, soul.Tiles weren’t, however, originally created in Portugal. The first known tile applications go back to Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia and only reached the Iberian Peninsula in around the 1300s.
In the late 15th century (especially after a trip by the then Portuguese King Manuel I to Spain), tiles finally arrived in Portugal, where they would be applied to multiple palaces, abbeys and gardens. Despite being initially imported, the remarkable proliferation of the use of tiles led to an inevitable establishment of tile workshops in Portugal (in the mid-16th century), with Lisbon immediately cementing itself as a global centre of production.
Over the centuries, tile production in Portugal came across several influences, with the most significant ones being Italian and Flemish artists, as well as a major Asian influence which brought the blue colouring from Chinese pottery.
Naturally, when it comes to any evolution through multiple centuries, there are periods of greater and lesser expansion. Following a phase of little production (at the time of the loss of independence between 1580 and 1640), Portugal saw a new period of national tile production like never before. Generally, this is understood to be the second half of the 17th century and even more significantly the 18th century (until a new period of decline in the beginning of the 19th century).
The 18th century can be considered the most significant for tile production in Portugal, mainly due to both the abundance of wealth from Brazilian gold and the rebuilding of Lisbon, after the 1755 earthquake (which would lead to the propagation of the famous ‘Pombalino’ patterned tiles).
All in all, and even though tiles have been produced throughout Europe, with some aesthetic variants, no other country has attained the same level as Portugal when it comes to the relevance, range of applications, quantity and quality of tiles.
