Museo National do Azulejo (part 1)

One of the places on Lynnes list of "must visit" was the Museo National de Azulejo, literally "Museum of tiles" , It is situated just outside the city centre, right on our local bus route into Lisbon.

I will be honest and admit I had no real idea what to expect, I didn't know if it would be more like B&Q than culture. I would be very pleasantly surprised.

The Museum is housed in an old convent. The Convento da Madre de Deus which was founded in 1509. The cloisters pictured above dates from this time.
The collections of tiles are displayed over 5 centuries of time through different areas and include Christian and Moorish tiles.

The museum is beautifully done and is totally accessible to people with disabilities. There are audio and tactile aids throughout along with the obvious ramps and lifts. No excuses for a 14th century building here! below is an example of a tactile aid panel.

We were immediately impressed as we looked at Moorish tiles and panels and were surprised by the fabulous colours being more used to the normal Portuguese Blue Azulejos.

However as we left the Galleries around the cloister we entered the Church of Madre de Deus and it literally takes your breath away.........

The initial entrance hall is a riotous splash of tiles and oil paintings, however the main body of the church is  with the exception of some blue Azulejo panels covered floor to ceiling in oil paintings and gilded decoration. The Rococo altarpiece was added after the earthquake in 1755.

Now we have become a bit jaded about sumptuous decoration in churches in the Iberian peninsular, but this one really is a bit special.

The quality of the painting is astonishing as we walked about ( getting stiff necks ) in the nave we spotted a window high above the entrance that was an indication where the nuns chapel was located.
Above and out of sight of the main congregation.

Later we discovered the entrance to the Nuns side chapel on the floor above and accessed from a beautiful ant-room again decorated in Blue Azulejos and oil paintings, there were some lovely wooden lecterns and a ceramic collection of nativity figures.

You really have to see and study them closely to see the wonderful character in the features and marvellous craftsmanship. I don't think we have seen anything similar outside Portugal.

The side chapel itself is another breathtaker. The floor is made from an exotic south African hardwood and you are informed in no uncertain terms to stay on the carpet!
Quite difficult to walk and look up, and look you must..........

Each Pew has its own reliquary above it as you walk the length (on the carpet ) of the chapel the view back down into the main body of the church gives another view of the wonders below.

This is a photo of one of the reliquarys. they are behind every pew and below the many paintings.

I will finish this part with a small video which may give a flavour of our visit. I will continue with the main body of the museum in part 2.