Portuguese pavement

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Portuguese pavement: image of Saint Elizabeth of Portugal (Coimbra).

Portuguese pavement (in Portuguese, Calçada Portuguesa), is a traditional style pavement used for many pedestrian areas in Portugal, it can also be found in Olivenza (disputed territory, administered by Spain), and throughout the old Portuguese colonies such as Brazil and Macau. Being usually used in sidewalks, it is in plazas and atriums this art finds its deepest expression.

One of the most distinctive uses of this paving technique is the image of the Saint Queen Elizabeth of Portugal, in Coimbra, designed with black and white stones of basalt and limestone.

[edit] Origins

Paving as a craft is believed to have originated in Mesopotamia, where rocky materials were used in the inside and outside of constructions, being later brought to Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.

The Romans used to pave the vias connecting the empire using materials to be found in the surroundings. Some of the techniques introduced then are still applied on the Calçada, most noticeably the use of a foundation and a surfacing.

[edit] Setting the stones

Upon a well compacted trench of argillaceous materials, craftsmen lay a bedding of gravel, which will accommodate the stones, acting as a cement.

Stages of paving

1. Preparation of stones

2. Careful, manual placement of each stone

3. Finishing by spreading cement mix on the pavement

4. Final effect

[edit] An unsure future

Portuguese pavement in Paulista Avenue, São Paulo. This pavement is currently being changed for a more common one, under the Avenue reform.

Very few workers (calceteiros) will admit to enjoying this arduous labour, where long hours are spent painstakingly laying the stones in a prostrated position. Low wages fail to attract apprentices.

Paved sidewalks also present hazards to pedestrians and unpleasant barriers to people with physical impairments. These pavements can be particularly treacherous when they are wet, presenting a glassy, low grip surface that can contribute to slips and falls. Moreover, the surface is prone to breaking up, and in doing so, presents dangerous trip hazards.

This method of paving has a high cost and reduced longevity in comparison with concrete-based or bituminous alternatives. They are, however, relatively easy to excavate (in order to access buried services) and reinstatement is almost invisible - not something that can be said for homogenous surfaces that are left with unsightly patches as witness marks to previous interventions.

Once an activity performed by hundreds of craftsmen in Portuguese cities and villages, traditional paving is increasingly becoming restricted to conservation works or important architectural projects. Less abundant materials, dwindling numbers of craftsmen and criticism to its widespread use are forcing municipalities to consider other alternatives.

The Brazilian city of São Paulo is currently reforming the sidewalks of its Paulista Avenue, one of the places in town that has Portuguese pavement, and exchanging it for a more cheap and common type of pavement.

[edit] Calçada as a form of art

Stars at your feet at Lisbon
Portuguese pavement in Castelo Branco, Portugal
Portuguese pavement in Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro
Póvoa de Varzim's runes in Praça do Almada
The Senado Square's disctinctive tiled pattern in Macau, China
The Copacabana beach sidewalk pavement in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The Ipanema beach sidewalk pavement in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
A sidewalk next to Paulista Avenue, a whole neighbourhood that only uses Portuguese pavement, in São Paulo, Brazil
Portuguese pavement near Pavilhão Atlântico at Parque das Nações, Lisbon, Portugal
Detail of paving work near Praça de Camões, Lisbon, Portugal
Portuguese pavement in Generoso Marques Square, Curitiba, Brazil
Lisbon Coat-of-Arms, the capital of Portugal
Transistor symbol drawn in University of Aveiro