A Feast of Tiles

One of the architectural characteristics of Recife, Olinda, and neighbouring cities is the significant use of ceramic tiles to decorate as well as protect the outside of houses. The height of personal [as opposed to religious] tile use was in the 19th Century during which time tiles were imported from Portugal, France, England, and Holland. Unfortunately, although there are still stunning examples of these tiles around, many tiled houses are found in areas of little economic value in which the owners have neither the means nor the knowledge to keep their tiles in good condition and are thus falling into serious states of disrepair. One of the pleasures of a walk around Olinda though, is finding these hidden treasures, including the tiles pictured above.