The church of Válega
Portugal is the European country where tile-making has attained the status of artwork and the interaction of this technique with artistic manifestations of other types makes Portuguese tiles a special and very probably unique case in the world.
With origins in the East and brought to Europe with the Islamic expansion, tiles only arrived in Portugal by the hand of King Manuel I at the end of the 15th century, after a visit to Spain in which the king was enchanted by their use on buildings of Moorish influence. At that time, our country already had a well-established ceramic tradition, so it did not take long for us to start producing our own tiles with techniques and themes coming from Italy and the Netherlands - the first tile workshops were installed here by Flemish potters. The geometric aesthetics of the Islamic tile, although it did not disappear completely, was later overtaken by the figurative aesthetics and the use of tiles on panels eventually became a competitor with mural painting, mainly in religious and palace architecture. Furthermore, being a cheap, durable material with insulating properties, tiles also became widely used for the covering and protection of buildings of all kinds; having in this case a more utilitarian than artistic purpose, these tiles were generally monochromatic and repeated the same pattern.
The most striking example of this alliance between the decorative character and the practical aspect of tiles in Portuguese religious architecture is undoubtedly the Church of Válega.
Válega is a village located half a dozen kilometres away from Ovar, in the northwest of Portugal - a minor detour for those who travel on the A1 highway - and the least that can be said about this church is that it is "spectacular". Also known as the Church of Our Lady of Amparo (which means “support” in English), it is surprisingly large for a village which seems to be so calm. Clearly of Baroque inspiration, its construction began in the mid-18th century and lasted for over a century.
But what makes this church so special is the fact that its walls are completely covered with tiles: the side and back walls with simple blue and white patterned tiles, in strong contrast with the multicoloured façade - which is unquestionably the place to where our eyes are drawn when we see the building from the outside. The church's grey granite structural elements act as a frame for the large, vividly painted tile panels which depict various scenes of Catholic iconography.
The interior is likewise striking, with its vaulted ceiling made of exotic wood and the walls decorated with marble stripes and large panels of tiles painted with figures and scenes framed by elaborate borders. The baptismal font is the oldest piece in the church, dating back to the 16th century. It is made of stone from the region of Ançã, a very soft limestone widely used in Portugal and throughout Europe since the 16th century, especially for sculpture.
The main characteristics which make the Church of Válega today one of the most extraordinary churches in our country are the result of works carried out in the 20th century, between the 1920s and the 1960s. In particular, the interior and exterior (hand-painted) tiles which are its biggest attraction were produced in the late 1950s by Fábrica Aleluia, a factory located in Aveiro which is still operating.
One final curious detail: the main façade of the church is not oriented towards the access road but rather towards the graveyard which lies in front. As it is facing west, the best time to visit this church is at sunset, when the sun shines on the tiles of the façade and gives the colours a warmer hue.
Coordinates: 40° 50' 01" N 08° 34' 49"O
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