Azulejos ( tiles), Porto

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There are several excellent tile works of art on the walls of the Bento Station. Over 20,000 tiles reflect transportation in Portugal and date from 1916. Prior to the station there was a convent. The train station is regularly used, but the tile work is great, you almost forget you are in a station.

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Go and see the old railwaystation,even if you aren´t going to go anywhere.We left here to Guimaraes and then after seeing the city we went by bus to Braga,and again,came back to Porto.I can also recommend that higly.
Buses from Guimaraes to Porto are very quick,but doesn´t go very often,so it´s good to know when they are leaving.We allmost missed one,and should have waited two hours,but nice lady from bus-station ran to bus and asked the driver to wait for us.Locals are so helpful!!!
About trainstation.Guidebooks told about the tiles.They have been a hard work,but actually we don´t find them beautyful.But since I´m also a art-metalsmith,I loved the old clock,and the beatuful molded metal frames of it.

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I just love azulejos- ceramic hand-painted tiles. Two of the best places to see azulejos in Porto are the cloisters of the Se (Cathedral) and the Sao Bento railway station. The Se's cloisters feature some beautiful azulejos in the classic blue and white style. There are depictions of scenes from Ovid, etc. Very elaborate. The Sao Bento's azulejos have been partly under restoration the couple of times that I have been there. But there's still enough for you to see. Here you have azulejos in different colors as well as blue and white. Pastoral scenes and also some more geometric ones. And of course, one featuring a train, since this IS a train station!

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It was built in the beginning of the 20th century on the site of the former Convent of S. Bento de Avé-Maria, thus obtaining its name. The vestibule is adorned with twenty thousand tiles illustrating historical events, painted by Jorge Colaço (1864-1942). It is one of the most important artistic initiatives of the turn of the century and was designed by the architect Marques da Silva.

The railways celebrated their inaugural journey on 28th October 1856. Following a period at the beginning of the century when several various public and private companies co-existed, the Companhia dos Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses (Portuguese railway company) came into existence in 1951, to become, in 1975, CP as it is known today.

Showing another strong influence on the people of Porto, the tiled (azulejo) buildings reflect the times of the Moors. The first known Portuguese examples of azulejo was imported from Seville in 1503, a city that had until recently been under Moorish control for half a millenia. The tradition continues in Porto to this day, and many of the modern buildings have been embellished only recently. You will find the tiling cropping up all over the place, from the Cathedral to the Sao Bento station, and most prominently on a number of stunning churches, like the impressive Almas Chapel pictured.

It was built in the early years of the 20th century in the place where once the São Bento convent, hence its name.
The architect was Marqués da Silva and most of the azulejo-work was by Jorge Colaço.
There are represented scenes concerning remarkable moments in the portuguese histoy, but also other kind of secenes (ethnographic, local culture and landscapes and also the history of transportation until the aparition of the railway).

The tiles of Porto's churches are all noteworthy, but the most magnificent are surprisingly found in one of the city's main train stations (the building in the center of this picture). They are found in the entrance hall and depict the history of transportation.

Azulejos are a pretty common thing in Spain. We have the ancient and deeply rooted custom of expressing local knowledge gems, such as "En esta casa no se fía" o "El que bebe no peca", or just as tasteless presents like "I went to Talavera de la Reina and I thought about you" using this artistic expression. ;-)

However, this could not be compared to Portuguese love/passion/obsession with Azulejos. Virtually every single building or construction is eligible for having its facade decorated with them, from the most humble house to the most imposing cathedral... including train or metro stations, tunnels, etc. Just look around you; While in Azulejoland, chances are that if you throw a stone blindly, it will hit a beautifully decorated azulejo ;-)

Almost the entire wall is an incredible tiled mural. It is also part of a group of buildings where it is separated from the Carmelitas Church by one of the worlds narrowest buildings at one yard.

This station (and basically all stations in the Douro valley) is famous for its azulejos. The walls are all covered with these typical blue tiles.
(see also my tip on the one day trip to Pinhao)