Composition with Islamic motif azulejos (door)

The montage of this composition evokes the azulejo decorations still extant today in Coimbra’s Old Cathedral, the Sé Velha. This Romanesque temple in yellow limestone, dating to the start of the 12th century, consists of three naves, a salient transept and a tripartite chevet. Many works and remodellings were carried out here, but one in particular should be mentioned dating from the early 16th century, by the hand of Bishop D. Jorge de Almeida (1458-1543). It was at this time that the interior, including the pillars, naves and spans, was completely lined in Sevillian azulejos. The great variety of patterns used offered a huge combination of decorative solutions, demonstrating for a start one of the differentiating characteristics in the use of the azulejo in Portugal – its perfect articulation with architecture. Currently, the presence of 16th century azulejo decoration has diminished considerably. A large number of azulejos, namely those covering the columns, were removed in the late 19th century, in an attempt to restore the purity of the primitive style to the church, along the line of the restoration current then in vogue. The examples that have survived can be seen along some of the curtain walls of the lateral naves. We have been able to view documents illustrating what the initial azulejo revetment would have looked like. These include photographs by Charles Thompson (1866) and drawings by Karl Haupt (1886-88), which give us an idea of the grandeur of this decorative project which, on a par with Sintra National Palace, was to define the use of the azulejo in Portugal.