History Lesson

— We arrived early at the São Bento (Saint Benedict) train station to catch a train from Porto to the Algarve region in southern Portugal. Since we had ample time we walked around the station. We couldn’t help but notice a father and son sharing a history lesson. That is what you see in the photo above. The father was explaining what those scenes meant.

This is the vestibule of the São Bento train station. As a traveler walks in, there is a large history lesson with over 20,000 azulejos (Portuguese blue tiles). The various scenes depict important moments in Portuguese history. Closer to the ceiling, there are more azulejos. Those offer a historical account of modes of transportation used in Portugal.

The tile work in the São Bento station is the work of famous azulejo artist Jorge Colaço. He began work in 1905 and finished it in 1916. There are a number of important scenes for appreciation. The station is in the historical section of Porto. It is, in fact, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The first photo shows the Battle of Arcos de Valdevez on the top. The smaller scene is Egas Moniz before Alfonso VII of Castile. The second photo, you can see D. João I with his fiancé. On the top portion of that photo, near the ceiling, you have representations of various modes of transportation used in Portugal. In contrast with the traditional blue azulejos, you see polychromatic azulejos. Finally, the bottom photo shows Infante Dom Henrique (Prince Henry the Navigator) in the conquest of Ceuta (Septa) in 1415. It shows the subjugation of the Moors.

To see these photos in full size, click on an image.