Under the direction of the King Jose I’s chief minister the Marques de Pombal,
distinctive mosaic pavements were built using the marble rubbled from the earthquake of
1755.
Like walking on an endless quilt of tiny patches, the mosaic patterns change with every
block. |
EXCERPT FROM SARA’S JOURNAL August
8, 1999
Lisbon
Art Walk
It’s rumoured that the Lisbon-shattering earthquake of 1755 inspired the citizens
to have their promenades and squares plastered over using the marble rubble of some of the
great architectural odes to the Age of Discovery as foundations for hundreds of kilometres
of street mosaics. Under the direction of the King Jose I’s chief minister the
Marques de Pombal more than 400 calceteiros set to work on the distinctive
pavements – mosaics of hills and valleys, signs of the zodiac, gardens, animals,
geometric designs and sea creatures. The pavements are so smooth in places they appear
varnished, and shine as though polished with wax. The stones are as deep as they are wide
– marble blocks of black and white, lined up, cut at corners, organic, changing
direction, inherently designed not only by the pattern in which they are laid, but by
their impressions made by 250 years of walking, the grain of the marble, the gaps, the
tight spots, the hand-cut and chiseled edges to each stone. Like walking on an endless
quilt of tiny patches, the mosaic patterns change with every block. Some designs are
clean, simple organic geometrics in stars and checkerboards. At the Praca de Commercio,
looking out onto the Tagus, there’s a parade of dragon-fishes. Today the calceteiros
have dwindled to less than 30 and find their craft superceded, on cost grounds, by
asphalt, and have to work for very little and most often on simple repair jobs. If there
is a design to be refurbished or set out again, the calceteiros get out the
original, carefully archived wooden patterns and lay them on the smooth ground, filling in
the template with small, square black and white stones, napped so meticulously the fit is
almost seamless.
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