Ceramic tiles are an important part of Portugal’s culture and history. As an invited guest on the #VikingSocial Portugal’s Rivers of Gold cruise, I took an optional tour that included a visit Lisbon’s National Tile Museum where I learned how ceramic tiles are made and saw quite an impressive display of tiles, some dating back to 1738.
Some of the tiles on display inside Lisbon’s National Tile Museum
The museum is housed inside the former Madres de Deus Convent. The outside is quite beautiful.
The convent’s ornate Chapel of St. Anthony is part of the tour and is quite impressive.
The tour concluded with a workshop where I was able to make my own ceramic tile. I chose to do a picture Dudley, of my daughter’s first pet cocker spaniel, mainly because it’s about the only thing I can draw. Counterclockwise below are pictures of the stages of the tile making process, the work station for workshop participants, some finished tiles for sale in the gift shop, and my picture of Dudley awaiting the kiln where it will be returned to me bright and shiny.
Learning how tiles are made and getting a chance to do it in a tile making workshop
All photographs in this post were taken with a HTC-one-M9 smartphone provided to me by Verizon Wireless. #VZWBuzz
What is the most interesting museum you’ve ever visited?
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