Lisbon’s Most Wanted: Stolen Portuguese Tiles
Although decorative ceramic tiles were not invented in Portugal, nowhere else in the world will you find a bigger variety or more uses for them, and especially in Lisbon. Known as “azulejos,” they are usually in white and blue (reflecting a Chinese porcelain influence in Portugal due to the Age of Discovery trade), and are seen in countless façades in the Portuguese capital, from simple residential houses to mansions and churches.
Because they are now centuries-old (those found on the walls of Lisbon mostly date from the 18th and 19th centuries), they are valuable historic pieces, and for that reason are being stolen to be sold internationally. You’ll find tile panels with missing pieces all over the city, with others broken after failed attempts to remove them. A recent television report stated that between 2002 and 2006 a total of 10,000 tiles were stolen from Lisbon, but those are only the ones that were reported to police.
A website has been created in an attempt to locate and place them back in their original homes (SOS Azulejo). Unfortunately that will be a difficult task, as they usually end up in the private residences of wealthy customers around Europe and the world. According to the Portuguese authorities, some have been found for sale on eBay, selling for hundreds and even thousands of dollars (one of them was selling for 50,000 euros). Those were recuperated, but many seem to have been lost forever.
If you’re interested in acquiring Portuguese tiles, know that you can get replicas of authentic works of art from many factories in Lisbon. If you buy them from an unofficial source, you’re committing a crime and further providing an incentive for the continued destruction of cultural heritage. A reputable factory to buy them legally from is Fabrica Santanna. It’s been producing those handmade creations since the 18th century, and sells copies of old designs.
For more information on the art of the decorative tile, see GoLisbon’s Azulejos page.
