Sunday, October 27, 2019 Lisbon
Under your feet, everywhere you walk in Lisbon, are works of art. The sidewalks are paved with black and white stones - square cubes of black basalt and white limestone which form mosaic patterns underfoot.
These patterns are known as Calcada Portuguese, or "Portuguese Pavement" and are found throughout Portugal and in locations under Portuguese influence, such as Brazil and Malacca. But the art form has reached its zenith in Lisbon, and still boasts modern interpretations.
Simple white cobblestones:
Geometric patterns:
Classical waves and designs:
Contemporary interpretations:
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| I first noticed the calcada patterns as soon as I walked out the door of our hotel |
Under your feet, everywhere you walk in Lisbon, are works of art. The sidewalks are paved with black and white stones - square cubes of black basalt and white limestone which form mosaic patterns underfoot.
These patterns are known as Calcada Portuguese, or "Portuguese Pavement" and are found throughout Portugal and in locations under Portuguese influence, such as Brazil and Malacca. But the art form has reached its zenith in Lisbon, and still boasts modern interpretations.
Simple white cobblestones:
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| Not every sidewalk has a two color pattern, but they all have square cobblestones in beautifully regular patterns |
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| Amazing to me, watching women in stiletto heels navigating these sidewalks |
Geometric patterns:
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| Square grids in the Jardim de Estela |
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| Tri color triangles in the plaza of the Maritime Museum |
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| Geometry with a flourish (or is that a flowerish?) in the Lata district |
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| Complex circles and triangles in the Municipal Plaza |
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| Wave pattern (recreated a few decades ago from the original pattern) in the Rossario |
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| Snowflake/flower pattern along the avenidas |
Contemporary interpretations:
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| Flanking the Oceanario in the Park of Nations |
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| More patterns around the Oceanarium |
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| Happy starfish |
Nature makes her own patterns:
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| Tree roots show in an uplifted starburst pattern |
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