Of all the things that make Portugal visually unmistakable, azulejos are perhaps the most iconic. In Lisbon, a new workshop is opening that lets you make one yourself, in one of the city’s most genuine settings, away from the tourist-facing azulejo experiences concentrated in the Baixa and Alfama.
What are azulejos?
The word azulejo comes from the Arabic azul, meaning blue, a nod to the deep cobalt blue that became the most iconic colour of Portuguese tilework. Tiles arrived in Portugal in the 15th century via Moorish influence, and over the following centuries the Portuguese developed their own rich tradition: geometric patterns, narrative panels, landscapes and religious scenes, all rendered in painted and glazed ceramic. Today azulejos are everywhere in Lisbon, on building facades, in metro stations, in grand palace interiors. They are, simultaneously, everyday and extraordinary: the wallpaper of a whole culture, made by hand for over five centuries.
Why making your own is worth it
Buying an azulejo is easy. Making one is something else, a hands-on encounter with a craft that connects you to centuries of Portuguese history and gives you something genuinely personal to take home. No two hand-painted tiles are identical. The one you make will be yours in a way that nothing bought off a shelf can be. The best workshops combine the making with the story: the history of the craft, the techniques, the patterns, the meaning behind the designs.
The new workshop at POP, in Graça
Soon, one of the most original settings for an azulejo workshop in Lisbon will be the back room of POP, a wine and gourmet store on Rua da Senhora do Monte already celebrated for its natural wines and Portuguese gourmet products. Unlike the tourist-facing workshop venues clustered around the historic centre, POP is in a real neighbourhood, Graça, run by people who love Portuguese culture as much as they love Portuguese wine. The workshop takes place in small groups in the shop’s back room, guided through the history and techniques of Portuguese tilework, with time and materials to paint your own tile, which will be fired and ready to take home.
A perfect afternoon in Graça
The workshop pairs naturally with everything else POP offers. Arrive early to browse the wine and gourmet selection, taste a glass of natural wine before you pick up a paintbrush, and finish the afternoon at the Miradouro da Senhora do Monte, just a hundred metres up the hill, with your freshly painted tile and the best view in Lisbon.
Also: the history of azulejos and where to make your own
POP, Rua da Senhora do Monte 38C, Graça, Lisbon. Open daily from 2pm.