Tile

Starting from the XIV-XV century the “azulejos” became fully established. The walls and floors of important monumental complexes were covered with glazed or enamelled tiles, variously decorated. Tiles painted in blue on white glaze were mainly produced in Valencia (Manises) and were decorated in the typical Mudejar style that combined Islamic themes with a more typically Western repertoire. The appreciation for the Spanish “azulejos” fed their exportation to Italy, influencing the local workers. At the end of the 15th century Pope Alexander VI ordered “rajoletes de Manises” to pave his private apartments in the Vatican and in Castel Sant’Angelo.