Aresta tile

Located within the European continent, Portugal has been exposed to various different civilizations since the ancient ages and these interactions have led to the development of a very enriched and mixed culture. One of the most beautiful and attractive architectural features in the country of Portugal is the Portuguese tiles. These tiles can be observed in almost every nook and corner of Portugal, in the pavements, in churches and even in houses. They serve multifarious purposes. While these tiles may display historical incidents of the past, they may simply expose designs or serve as signs on the streets. Therefore it is quite evident that the Portuguese tiles are a significant part of the Portuguese cultural life. The tiles in Portugal are popularly referred to as ‘azulejos’ and the term are derived from the Arabic word ‘az-zulavi’ meaning a form of refined stone.

It is to be noted that after the 15th century it has been noticed that the Portuguese tiles or azulejos were greatly influenced by the Spanish designs when it came to the display. Therefore it is quite evident that there are certain variants of azulejos which would draw immensely from these Spanish influences. One of the most prominent among them is the aresta tile. In fact, it is believed that the initial set of aresta tiles were imported to Portugal from the neighboring country of Spain, more specifically from the region of Seville which is extremely famous for the production of tiles and ceramic products. In the production of the aresta tiles, a very significant role is played by clay. For the creation of the aresta tile, clay has to be fused with molds of aresta and in this way it is possible to obtain the end product, the aresta relief tile. It is necessary to note that these tiles have to maintain a certain amount of thickness in the front part and this is ensured by the use of wooden pieces.