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Chiado Museum is based in Chiado on Rua Serpa Pinto. To get there, aim for Cafe Brasileira on Rua Garrett and take the road on your left just before the cafes and the metro stop. Walk  about half way down the road and you’ll see a long red flag hanging down on the left hand side of the street announcing you’ve arrived. Just before you reach the entrace of the Museum, make sure you check out the doorway in the wall as these leads into the Museum Cafe which is definately worth a visit (here’s a clue – there are circular windows in the wall). It’s one of those places that not so many people know about but the garden is lovely and cool and it’s the perfect place to while away an hour before or after your museum visit. Food and drinks are reasonably priced and the staff are friendly too.

The Museum initially opened on the 26th May 1911 and was housed in an ancient Convent of Saint Francis. Closed just before the terrible Chiado fire in 1988 the museum went through a complete redesign and reopened it’s doors in 1994. The building inside is a beautiful space full of curved wooden accented ceilings and wood and glass walkways. The architecture gives a curious feeling of the building being very old and very new all at the same time.

Museu do Chiado specialisies in art from the mid 19th Century to now. A few pieces come from outside Portugal but the vast majority are Portuguese artists. There are a range of styles and disciplines with work ranging from Romanticism through to Avant Garde, Surrealism to Expressionism – and probably a good deal more art ‘ism’s’ that I don’t know the name of

Having little true knowledge of art I am merely an observer and sometimes I think it is important just to experience a piece and see how it touches the senses rather than to compare or contrast or even describe. Sometimes, I just like to let art be…well…art.

I loved the piece by Alberto Carneiro ‘Raiz, Caule, Folhas, Flores e Frutas’ (Root, Stem, Leaves, Flowers and Fruits) and an odd sculpture ‘Duas Cabeças’ (two heads) by Jorge Martins. There was a space that paid homage to symbolism and another paying homage to the blues (I’m assuming this was a temporary exhibition). The artwork is very varied and interesting and therefore there’s something for everyone. I have to say however my favourite piece was Helena Almeida’s “Pintura Habitada” (Inhabited Painting). There was something quite mesmorizing about her work – the vividness of the blue, the artist disappearing into the art…absolutely beautiful. This collection of images has stayed in my mind long after I came home.

Pintura Habitada

The Museum is open Tuesday to Sundays 10am – 6pm and costs €4 to enter except on Sunday mornings when it is free until 2pm.

Rua Serpa Pinto, 4-6, Chiado, Lisboa
www.museudochiado-ipmuseus.pt

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Oscar nominated Spanish director Carlos Saura has made a musical documentary on the subject of Portuguese Fado.  From what I have read, this is Saura’s interpretation of Fado and includes many of famous fadistas including Amalia and Mariza as well as many more. More a series of vignettes including dance which is not characteristic of Fado, Saura brings together a series of impressions of the genre. It is a perhaps a personal journey that is always going to remain on step away from the truth as Carlos is not from Portugal but from what I have seen so far, I think it will be a very interesting movie to watch.

I have yet to find the movie available on Amazon US, UK or even on Portuguese site Fnac but I am keeping my fingers crossed. It may be well worth keeping an eye on your local arthouse independant cinema for  showings of this.

Here is a trailer I discovered on YouTube and a link to the official site.

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According to the reading I have done about him, his LOVE design is what he is most known for. The love scultures have appeared across the world and even featured on US post stamps. There seems to be much discussion about the meaning behind the design but personally I like to see the beauty of the word itself.

LOVE

Just LOVE

At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it.

Picture from Capitu on Flickr

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Today I was sent some information by ‘Walks on the Arts Side’; a company in Lisbon who offer themed guided walks in Lisbon focused around the beautiful Azulejos (tiles) that are an iconic feature of Portuguese buildings. I haven’t been on one of these walks yet myself so I cannot offer a personal review of them. However, after taking a look at their website, I thought many of you would be interested.

Below is the information sheet they sent me and there is also a link to download the flyer. I adore azulejos so I could imagine really enjoying one their walks and I do hope to join in on one of my next visits. If any of you have been on a Walk on the Arts Side, please feel free to let others know what you think in the comments below.

Information
For 5 centuries the Azulejos (ceramic tiles) have mirrored Portugal´s multicultural dialogue and the evolution of its own society – from the Islamic wisdom through the Renaissance spirit and the Portuguese discoveries to the “great production” of the XVIII century and the eclectic XIX and XX centuries.

We do guided tours of Lisbon’s (and Portugal’s) most extraordinary examples of a unique heritage  – the ‘Azulejos’ -  and comment on their art and history, styles, techniques and major influences from the 16th to 20th century.
The walks take place in central Lisbon and in the Belém district (in partnership with one of Europe’s oldest tile factories) lasting approx. 3hours.

Regular tours (central Lisbon):
The Chiado-Bairro Alto Tour
From the Ribeira to the Janelas Verdes
Taste of the Art: From the Pastéis de Belém to the Fábrica Sant’Anna

Other tailor-made THEMED TOURS include:
• Hispano-Moorish, Dutch Imports, The Baroque Grandeur
• The 17th’s century “Freedom of Expression”
• GUIDED TOURS of the Museu Nacional do Azulejo (NATIONAL TILE MUSEUM)
• Tile Painting Workshops
• The 17th century Convents
• The Rococo Gardens

Click here to download the flyer
Full details including times, prices, walks available and guides are all on their website

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I have an endless fascination with the mosaic tile found at every turn in Lisbon and throughout Portugal. The beautiful intricate patterns adorning the streets and buildings are a precious commodity and a defining feature. From ordinary town houses to palaces and monuments, Portuguese tile is found everywhere.

The word Azulejo stems from the Moorish occupation during the 8th century. Azulejo is derived from the Arabic “al -zulecha” meaning “small Stone”. Traditionally the Koran bans images of living things so the patterns originally were made up of complex geometric designs. Over the centuries, as Moorish influence declined, this patterns changed and you could find not only geometric designs but also scenes of flora and fauna as well as human. Religious imagery was favoured initially, closely followed by images afforded by the upper classes such as hunting and feasting. The voyages of Vasco de Gama also became popular. History and fantasy became glorious visual delights of sometimes huge proportions. Some of the larger pieces in churches were referred to as tapetas as they were like a carpet/rug of tile.

Like any traditional art form, the azulejos designs went through different fashions – from the Dutch influenced blue and white tile to Neoclassical to bright multicoloured to Art Deco. Whilst there are still some traditional artists, these days the majority of the tiles you’ll see on sale are mass produced.

If you also adore this wonderful art-form then take a trip to the Museu do Azulejo. Take bus number 794 from Praça Comércio which leaves from the right hand side of the square if you are facing the river. This will drive you along the river front to Rua Madre De Deus (yes this is where the band got their name from). You need to get off at the 9th stop which is right outside a big white church to your left. The Musuem is set within the Convent of Madre De Deus which is a beautiful and peaceful setting. Inside the museum are a wide variety of tiles from different ages icluding the longest azulejo piece in Portugal showing a panoramic view of Lisbon.

Through the sculptures on the first floor, you reach an impressively adorned room with giant blue and white azulejos and paintings. Make sure you walk on the carpet. I was so busy looking at the tiles I missed the sign and received a reprimand from the museum assistant! There are examples of talha dourada here as well. Talha dourada is a specific technique of working with wood which you can often see in churches. It is highly ornate gold painted carved wood which was created by highly skilled artists.

I loved my couple of hours here. The building and the light were perfect for the tiles on show. Note that flash photography is not allowed.

Do take a trip to the cafe and sit outside in zen peaceful garden with a cup of coffee. I sat out there for quite some time just enjoying the silence and the plip of goldfish and turtles in the pond.

The museum is very reasonably priced at  3 euro’s per ticket.
Museu do Azulejo Official Site

There is a fantastic introduction to Azulejos here

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I’m currently reading The Surprise of Being which is a collection of poems by Fernando Pessoa. I wasn’t sure what to expect and I am ashamed to say it’s been a good few years since I settled down to read some poetry. During my degree years, my favourite writers were the romantics: Wordsworth, Shelley and Blake. I like poetry that makes me think and which has an edge of darkness to it.

This collection of Pessoa’s work seems to me to paint a picture of someone who spend much of his life questioning who he was and what others thought him to be. There is certainly the element of the ’suffering poet’ etched within his words. That said, I cannot possibly think of him as ‘miserable’ because there are such flashes of inspiration and delicate beauty. There is sadness and perhaps a hint of saudade. Reading Pessoa is like walking into another’s dream and seeing the landscape they built with their thoughts, only to watch it shift into a place you almost recognise. It’s like deju-vu on a rainy day and curiously recognising a stranger.

Here is my favourite poem so far.

O que me dói não é
O que há no coração
Mas essas coisas lindas
Que nunca existirão…

São as formas sem forma
Que passam sem que a dor
As possa conhecer
Ou as sonhar o amor.

São como se a tristeza
Fosse árvore e uma a uma,
Caíssem suas folhas
Entre o vestígio e a bruma

What hurts me is not
What is in the heart
But those beautiful things
Which will never be.

They are the forms without form
That go by without pain
Being able to know
Or love to dream them

They are as if sadness
Were a tree and one by one,
Its leaves were falling
Between the trace and the mist. 

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The Fado Museum (Museu do Fado) is a must do trip for those who love Fado music as well as those with an interest in Portuguese culture and history.

Situated on Largo do Chafariz de Dentro, the museum is right opposite the entrance to Alfama. The easiest way to find it is to simply walk towards the sea on Praça de Comércio and turn left up the main road (Avenida Infant Dom Henrique). It’s about a 5 – 10 minute walk along the water front and is situated on the right. Alternatively you can take bus number 28.

The museum opened in 1998 and is located within a spacious well-designed building that still smells new. It costs 3 euro’s to enter and you are not allowed to take photographs. Both times I have visited, the museum has been quiet although as with most tourist attractions it is busier at the weekends.

Despite being quite a small museum, they have a packed collection that includes interactive features. The permanant collection is a wonderful journey through the history of Fado – the music, the singers, the musicians and instrument (namely the Portuguese guitar).

There are hundreds of photo’s of famous singers as well posters of old advertisements. Every wall is crammed with information on how fado developed as a musical genre. You can listen to the different types of fado as well as different artists. My favourite part of the museum is the  model Portuguese guitar workshop. A wax work figure stands over his tools as a film runs behind him showing how a Portuguese guitar is made. As a musician I have always been in awe of master instrument makers. Along the wall is a large display of different makes and models of guitar. My fingers were itching to play!

The last room is a wonderful installation that recreates a fado bar. Last time I visited I was the only person in there so it was easy to feel like I had been transported back in time. The room is dark and atmospheric. Cases of original costumes worn by great Fadistas like Lidia Ribeiro, Maria da Fé and Amalia line the back walls. All around the room are photographs of Fado in action and of course there is fado playing as you stand and absorb the atmosphere.

The museum has space also for temporary exhibitions. Past exhibitions are listed on their website if you would like to know more. There is a cafe which wasn’t open when I was there but according to their website it is open at the weekend and Fado is played live.

You’ll find the shop very expensive but it does have an excellent selection of fado music as well as some lovely books on art and culture in Portugal as well as fado. My only disappointment was that they did not have any posters. I love the old Fado advertisments – particularly those by Stuart Carvalhais and would love to have some prints of his work.

The Fado museum is the perfect place to pass an hour in the late afternoon. From there you can cross the street and be right in the heart of old Alfama ready to spend the evening in the arms of fado.

Museu do Fado (in Portuguese and English)
Opening Times: Tuesday – Sunday 10 – 6pm

Azulejo by buenasaires on Flickr

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Their current issue features writing from the Portuguese world spanning Portugal, Africa and Brazil. You’ll find excerpts of books, poetry and interviews. I love the poem by Manoel De Barros and I am listening to a mix by DJ Spooky who is also featured on the site.  There is also a delightful piece by Teolinda Gersão called “The Woman Who Stole the Rain” which is beautifully written.

Take a look – Words Without Borders

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Perhaps it is because I have always felt a connection to trees, perhaps that it was a special moment in a quiet place. Perhaps it is because the poem says something so important so simply. To protect the enviroment is to protect ourselves.

Ao Viandante
Tu que passas e ergues para mim o teu braço,
Antes que me faças mal. Olha me bem.
Eu sou o calor do teu lar nas noites frias de inverno
Eu sou a sombra amiga que tu encontras
Quando caminhas sob o sol de agosto
E os meus frutos são a frescura apetitosa
Que te sacia a sede nos caminhos.
Eu sou a trave amiga da tua casa, a tábua da tua mesa,
A cama em que descansas e o lenho do teu barco
Eu sou o cabo da tua enxada a porta da tua morada,
A madeira do teu berço e do teu próprio caixão
Eu sou o pão da bondade e a flor da beleza
Tue que passas, olha-me bem e não faças mal

Veiga Simões, Arganil, Maio de 1914
Veiga Simões was a brilliant Portuguese politician, diplomat, writer and journalist.

To the person who passes through this place

You that pass and raise your arm to me
before you hurt me, look at me well.
I am the heat of your home in the cold winter nights.
I am the friendly shade that you find
when walking under the august sun
And my fruits are appetizing freshness
That satisfy your thirst on the way.
I am the friendly beam of your house, the board of your table
the bed in which you rest and the wood of your boat.
I am handle of your hoe, the door of your dwelling
the wood of your  cradle and of your own coffin.
I am the bread of goodness and the flower of beauty.
You that pass, look at me well and do no harm.

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