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Tiles - or azuleijos - are found everywhere in Portugal.
They are as much a part of life in the Iberian Peninsula as fresh bread, olives, sunshine or the strumming of a guitar.
In the sixteenth century the portuguese began painting panels of azuleijos usually depicting scenes from the bible.
The word azuleijo comes from the coloquial Arabic al-zulaij, meaning faience or ornamental tile.
The oldest Azuleijo panel in Portugal can in fact be seen in Quinta da Bacalhoa, Azeitao.
It was copied from an engraving by Enea Vico of Susana and the Elders from Daniel 13:15:16 and is dated 1565.
Art&CraftDayHistory
