Research Summary

The Portuguese taste for ceramic glazed tiles began to spread throughout the country during the 15th century, with Hispano-Moresque tiles being massively used to decorate religious and noble buildings. Seville was the main production centre by then, but there were other important centers, such as Valencia and Toledo, (Spain). However, recent studies and archaeological excavations raised the possibility of a Portuguese production as well.  Despite the considerable studies on Hispano-Moresque ceramics and their importance on the Iberian Penisula’s heritage, there is a lack of information on architectural tiles. The aim of this work is to study Portuguese and Spanish Hispano-Moresque tile collections from the production techniques’ point of view. Samples from important collections are being analyzed in order to determine their chemical composition, production recipes and raw materials. The final aim is to distinguish different workshops or production centers in the Iberian Peninsula.

PhD Project Title: Medieval Portuguese Tiles: materials, production techniques and provenance study.

Supervisors: Rui da Silva (C2TN - IST/UNL) and Rui Trindade (MNAz)