A Year in Uruguay

The Museo del Azulejo is a small museum in the Pocitos neighborhood [address: Cavia 3080] featuring a collection of over 3000 decorative tiles. Azulejos have an interesting history, going back to the era of Moorish rule in the Iberian peninsula. (The word azulejo comes from an Arabic phrase meaning polished stone.) The tiles arrived in the Americas with Spanish and Portuguese settlers. Azulejos aren't nearly as popular in Montevideo as they are in Seville but there are some interesting examples here.

The museum has 5 or 6 rooms in a neat old house displaying tiles from various countries. It's open Tuesday-Sunday afternoons and admission is free.

Labels: Montevideo places, museums, Uruguay