WOBBLY CHURCH

 Since we love all that is wobbly, here is a church which looks like a pudding in stone. The photo wasn't altered in any way. The columns on the right-hand side are veering towards the right - but it's all stable, like a giant frozen jelly. Apparently the deformation was caused by the Lisbon Earthquake of 1755, but it's the main church at Vila Nova de Foz Côa, some 400 km away. Go figure.
The exterior is great too, as well as the ceiling which will get its own post.

MODERNE HEATER

The floor heater at Casa de Serralves, in Porto, is a piece of sculpture in polished brass erupting out of the marble floor. You can almost believe it could actually move up and down, complete with the top floor piece still attached. As always, perfect design and execution in Porto's greatest gesamtkunstverk, with the Ruhlmann interiors beautifully complementing Marques da Silva's architecture. Pity it didn't last like that to our days, and the now spartan white-painted interiors are somewhat used for performances or installations, but the hard surfaces and fixtures still remain as testament to less utilitarian and pseudo-minimalist times.

INSIDE AND OUTSIDE

Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Braga, Braga. The church came after the luscious baroque garden stairs and pavilions, hence its already "neo-classical" straightness of design. The relatively cool emotional feeling of the temple contrasts with the fireworks in stone displayed in the ascending path.

CUPOLA

Convento de Nossa Senhora da Assunção (Museu Municipal de Faro), 16th century, Faro.
This dome is as pure as anything in Renaissance Italy, with a few charming flourishes and soft plaster flaming urns. Inside, simple ribs and palms are the only decoration.

OSSONOBA - ANCIENT PORTUGUESE STUFF

"Mosaico do Oceano de Ossonoba" - More info here.

Museu Municipal de Faro, Faro. This roman mosaic was found in Faro, ancient Ossonoba. The pattern is simple, but its subtle distortions hint at the solution found to adapt it to the size of the room, now long lost.

STONE COFFERS

The vaults and crossing of S. Vicente de Fora, one of the most exquisitely designed churches in Lisbon. Late 16th-early 17th century, the original architect was Filipe Terzio. A sort of High Renaissance from an estranged Italian, every piece relates to the whole and the detailing is superb, sharp and highly inventive.

FLUE

 

Palácio dos Biscainhos, Braga.

This "flue"  is nothing less than the whole meat smoking room. Sausages and other meats would be placed at the hooks shown on the top photo, and be smoked from a firepit below. The small holes in the wall, and the roof itself, would let the smoke out. The wonderful iron structure lifts the tiles so there is an air gap at the junction with the walls. Needless to say, the kitchen has been cleaned and no curing has been done in a while!

PAINTED WOOD CEILING

Palácio dos Biscainhos, Braga

CASA HORTÍCOLA

Casa Hortícola, Mercado do Bolhão, Porto.
A lot has already been said about this in The World of Interiors, but unfortunately it's not availabe online. The seed store is a gem on one of the corners of the Bolhão market in Porto. The market is visited by hundreds of tourists every day, but in spite of this its conditions border the insalubrious, with pigeons walking inbetween the flowers and pieces of stucco falling from the ceiling. The produce is without compare in the city though, and we can only hope this store remains open for long.

DOORBELL

Private House, Rua do Rosário, Porto.

SKYLIGHT

Palácio dos Biscainhos, Braga

DOOR JAMB DETAIL

Palácio dos Biscainhos, Braga

INTERIOR WOOD DOOR

Private House, Rua do Rosário, Porto. Faux-painted and decorated door.

HORSE STALLS

Palácio dos Biscainhos, Braga

PALÁCIO DOS BISCAINHOS

Palácio dos Biscainhos, Braga (17th century).

This house is now a museum. It has been developed over the centuries, growing from northern Portuguese Baroque to more elegant "French" quarters, together with insect-painted walls.

The entry hall is almost medieval in its heavy and dark character, and sports four small statues that greet newcomers. Notice how the brackets which hold them actually develop from the pilasters between the arches, confusing their architectural roles. The floor is a tactile joy to walk on, like a field of petrified cushions. The gardens are wonderful, and will be featured later on.

WOOD STAIRS

Palácio dos Biscainhos, Braga

STRANGE PAINTED TEXTURE

Palácio dos Biscainhos, Braga. 18th c. psychedelia.

INTERIOR DOOR

Private House, Rua do Rosário, Porto

DECO DOOR HANDLE 2

And another door handle in Serralves. This time between outside and the dining room, where the table was indeed designed by Ruhlmann for the Count of Vizela.

DECO DOOR HANDLE

Serralves, a door handle over a mirrored door inside a dressing room. Did we mention Ruhlmann worked here? So did Marques da Silva, whose time is coming for a post or two.