Portuguese Tiles
The tiles are recognized as one of our country's greatest treasures, both by Portuguese and international visitors.
The Portuguese tile originated in Spain, through a trip taken by King D. Manuel I, in 1498. The monarch was noticed and enchanted by the artistic looks and decided to bring the concept to Portugal.
The colors used in Portuguese tiles are mainly yellow, orange, green, brown, gray and predominantly cobalt blue. Blue was the only and main color used throughout the history of Portuguese tiles, both in panels and in isolated tiles.
The tradition of blue is related and began derived from commercial exchanges with the East and the abundance of raw materials that were imported, therefore it means that The aesthetic value of the tile is based on the glaze, the respective colors and brightness, so the color is not just associated a matter of style and/or taste but rather the technology of the time and the raw materials available.
The tiles, in addition to their beauty, are known for being resistant and waterproof, which means that the entire construction covered in tiles guarantees the walls protection against the temperature and also the cold of Europe's harsh winter.
Due to its low cost combined with impermeability and aesthetics, this was the reason why the material was used for the Lisbon residence after the 1755 earthquake.
We can conclude that the most traditional color of Portuguese tiles is cobalt blue
Cobalt blue is composed of Cobalt and Aluminum Oxides - CoAl 2O 4
Sources: adaptation and summary of various sources