Sintra: walls and footpaths
One of the delights of Portugal is to see its pretty tiled walls and intricately laid footpaths – especially in Lisbon, but also in countless other towns and villages as well as here in Sintra, a few kilometers to the north. This wall and pavement, in front of a former convent known as Casal de Santa Margarida, is typical.
The craft of pavement laying goes back to before Roman times – and even today, specialist craftsmen lay out footpaths, town squares and pedestrian areas using small flat pieces of stone arranged in a pattern or image, not dissimilar to a mosaic. It’s also a common feature in most of Portugal’s former colonies such as Angola, Brazil, Macau and Madeira.
Sintra: walls and footpaths
One of the delights of Portugal is to see its pretty tiled walls and intricately laid footpaths – especially in Lisbon, but also in countless other towns and villages as well as here in Sintra, a few kilometers to the north. This wall and pavement, in front of a former convent known as Casal de Santa Margarida, is typical.
The craft of pavement laying goes back to before Roman times – and even today, specialist craftsmen lay out footpaths, town squares and pedestrian areas using small flat pieces of stone arranged in a pattern or image, not dissimilar to a mosaic. It’s also a common feature in most of Portugal’s former colonies such as Angola, Brazil, Macau and Madeira.