Here, on the Calçada do Mar Português, you are walking on a piece of art. This art reflects Lisbon’s soul. The Calçada Portuguesa or Portuguese pavement is one of Lisbon’s trademarks. It creates the city’s special atmosphere. The pavement reflects all of the light that falls on it.
Portuguese paving is an old feature of Lisbon. The tradition goes back to Roman times. Romans used stone laid in patterns to pave roads. They also paved plazas and floors. You can see Roman mosaic pavement in Conimbriga. You can also see it on the ancient road at Alqueidão da Serra.
Moorish occupation also influenced the pavement. Many calçadas Portuguesa feature geometric designs. These designs show Arabic influence.
Several earthquakes drove the use of Portuguese pavement. The 1755 earthquake destroyed much of Lisbon. Many streets were paved this way after it. General Eusébio Furtado used Portuguese pavement. He transformed the grounds of São Jorge Castle. He made walking places using mosaic pavement. He also created Mar Largo at Praça do Rossio. He designed Camões Square, Príncipe Square and Town Hall Square. All these squares are in Lisbon.
The stone is mostly limestone. It is quarried from the Aire and Candeeiros mountains. Black white grey and sometimes red stones are used. Geometric patterns are common. But the stones can display floral patterns. They can also display symbols and portraits.
The first cobbled streets in Lisbon were built in 1515. They accommodated a white rhinoceros named Ganga. Ganga was a birthday gift to King Manuel I. The governor of Portuguese India gifted him.
Most accounts date calçada Portuguesa to 1842. Lieutenant General Eusébio Furtado had inmates pave the parade ground at Castelo de São Jorge. Furtado designed a zigzag pattern. He used black basalt and white limestone.
Citizens loved the result. Furtado was commissioned to design a layout for Praça de Dom Pedro IV. It is also known as Rossio Square. Furtado’s design is a wave pattern known as Mar Largo. It covers over 64000 square feet. It pays homage to Portugal’s seafaring past. The pattern has been widely copied. It can create optical illusions. It can make people dizzy.
By 1895 calçadas were mandatory for all new paving projects in Lisbon. From there the technique spread. It went to other countries in the Portuguese empire. It also spread throughout the world.
Ships going to Portuguese territories were often empty. They needed to increase cargo for stability. This is called ballast. The solution was to fill the ships with Portuguese stone. When they arrived storage was lacking. Jesuits and the military began using them as pavement. They paved streets in these new territories.
One example is Macau. It is the former Portuguese administrative territory. It has the largest area of calçada outside of Portugal. The motifs are mostly caravels compass roses shells fish stars or ocean waves. Calçada in Macau has continued to grow. It grew even after the transfer of sovereignty to China in 1999. Chinese pavers taught by Portuguese masons still implement it.
Today you can find old pavements in Brazil Cape Verde Angola Mozambique India and Timor. You can find new examples in Spain and the United States.
The stones are cut to about 4 cm square. They are set no more than 2 mm apart. Skilled craftsmen do the work. They are known as calceteiros. These artisans can create about 110 square feet of plain pavement in a day.
Once the stones are in place they are pounded. A heavy wooden tool is used. It is called a maço. This ensures they are level. Powdered limestone or sand and cement are swept into the cracks. It is watered down to form a porous mortar.
This pavement is permeable. Water can percolate down into the ground. This prevents overflowing storm sewers. The stones can expand and contract as temperatures change. It is easy to repair or excavate to access buried services.
Most calçada Portuguesa is plain. Some is decorative. Some examples are art.
Making intricate designs involves collaboration. An artist designs the pattern. An artisan executes it in stone. Wooden molds frame the patterns. Stones are laid around the edges of the mold. The mold is removed. The pattern is filled in. Lisbon has over 7000 wooden molds in storage.
Calceteiros often sign their work. They leave a small symbol in the stone.
The future of calçada Portuguesa is in question. There is a shortage of calceteiros. There is the cost of maintaining these pavements. The stones can be slick when wet. They are often uneven. Some argue that the stone should be discontinued. It should be replaced with modern materials.
Calçada Portuguesa is part of Portugal’s historical fabric. It is art beneath our feet. There is even a monument in Lisbon. It honors the work of the calceteiros.