This remarkable bit of Portuguese tile work is in the Santo Amaro Chapel in Lisbon. This is just a small section of a larger installation in the rotunda of the chapel. The tiles are covered with botanical and geometric figures, creatures, people, and body parts such as arms and legs. I presume that the large figure must be Santo Amaro.
The chapel seems a bit neglected. It is located just west of the north end of the Ponte 25 de Abril, or April 25 Bridge — a structure that could stand in for San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. The chapel is surrounded by a large plaza, but it feels deserted. In fact, I read that there is some concern about the place — and a movement to protect it and its very old tiles.
COMMENT OR QUESTION? Scroll down to the comment form.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email
All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.