Type of patterned pavement
Portuguese pavement: image of the
seal
of the
University of Coimbra
, in
Portugal
, featuring
Wisdom
Portuguese pavement
, known in
Portuguese
as
calcada portuguesa
or simply
calcada
(or
pedra portuguesa
in Brazil), is a traditional-style
pavement
used for many
pedestrian
areas in
Portugal
. It consists of small pieces of stone arranged in a pattern or image, like a
mosaic
. It can also be found in
Olivenca
(a
disputed territory
administered by Spain) and throughout former
Portuguese colonies
, especially in
Brazil
. Portuguese workers are also hired for their skill in creating these pavements in places such as
Gibraltar
. Being usually used in
sidewalks
, it is in
town squares
and
atriums
that this art finds its deepest expression.
One of the most distinctive uses of this
paving
technique is the image of Saint-Queen
Elizabeth of Portugal
(Santa Rainha Isabel), in
Coimbra
, designed with black and white stones of
basalt
and
limestone
.
History
[
edit
]
Some styles of Portuguese pavement are:
[1]
- irregular pavements, thought to be the oldest style
- crushed pavement, similar but with more spaces between the stones
- classic style, with one primary diagonal and one secondary, both at 45 degrees to the adjoining kerb and/or wall.
- linear pavement, with stones aligned in parallel files
- circular pavement
- hexagonal pavement
- artistic pavement, with specific forms and/or highly contrasting stones
- large wavy pattern
- segmented fans
- florentine fans
- peacock tails
- less regular peacock tails
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 Roman techniques introduced then are still applied on the
calcada
, most noticeably the use of a
foundation
and a
surfacing
.
In its current form, Portuguese pavement was first used in
Lisbon
from 1840 to 1846, during repairs to
Sao Jorge Castle
directed by general and engineer Eusebio Pinheiro Furtado.
[2]
These included the repvament of the castle's courtyards with a
zigzag
pattern of alternating black and white stones deemed atypical for the time.
In 1848, Pinheiro was put in charge with the renewal of
Rossio square
, which he paved with a pattern of waves in homage to the sea crossed by
Portuguese sailors
. From then onward, the
calcada
began to spread throughout the streets of Lisbon and Portugal as a whole. Much of the motifs and patterns would revolve around the sea and maritime exploration, and the pavement quickly became a symbol of Portuguese culture and identity, also spreading overseas to Portugal's colonies.
[2]
Portuguese pavement spread to
Spain
in the late 19th century, most notably to
Barcelona
in 1896, where it was used to pave the sides of the
Salon de San Juan
, with later expansions in 1909 and 1917?1920.
[3]
It was not until 1905 when Portuguese pavement was first used in Brazil, in the city of
Manaus
.
Belo Horizonte
followed suit, and then
Rio de Janeiro
. In Rio, mayor
Francisco Pereira Passos
was a strong promoter of implementing the
calcada
as part of the city's urban renewal plan, which was subsequently adopted in the reworking of
Avenida Rio Branco
, importing
calceteiros
, designs and even stones from Portugal. The remaining building materials were destined to the newly innaugurated
Avenida Atlantica
, in its iconic wavy pattern. Portuguese pavement then began to plofirate through Rio.
[2]
In the 1940s, the Portuguese
calcada
began to evolve in line with the principles of the
International Style
, developing abstract geometric patterns. In Brazil, this pavement was used in many projects directed by modernist architects, in which they blended traditional materials and techniques like the
calcada
with contemporary design.
Roberto Burle Marx
applied it to many of his works and conserved it when redesigning
Copacabana
in the 1970s.
[2]
Future
[
edit
]
| This article needs to be
updated
.
Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
(
September 2014
)
|
Portuguese pavement in
Paulista Avenue
,
Sao Paulo
in 2008. This section has since been replaced with concrete sidewalks. Traditional Portuguese pavement has gradually been retired from the city's landscape under urban reforms.
Very little new paving of this type is done, and the entire profession is at risk. The long hours and low wages typical of
calceteiros
have reduced apprenticeships and thus new pavers. Furthermore, as the pavement is less safe (provides less traction when wet; loose stones can become tripping hazards), costs more (especially with the difficulty of obtaining appropriate stones), and wears quicker than concrete or asphalt, there is also dropping interest in investment and construction in it. Although there were once hundreds of
calceteiros
, most modern work is on conservation or major architectural projects.
[
citation needed
]
In spite of its historical and cultural value, this type of pavement has raised concerns in recent times, particularly in regards to its
accessibility
. Portuguese pavement has been noted for being particularly slippery, a condition worsened by natural wear and tear as well as by rainy conditions, the latter of which also allows for the formation of puddles in more concave, worn-out sections. Other disadvantages include the propensity for weeds and moss to form in its cracks.
[4]
The loosening of stones is also a relevant issue, making sidewalks covered by this type of pavement need constant maintenance and repair in order to avoid pedestrians from tripping. These qualities have often made transport for the elderly, wheelchair users, pregnant women and babies in strollers particularly difficult. Portuguese pavement is also especially harsh on some types of
footwear
.
[5]
In Portugal,
Porto
completely replaced the traditional pavement of its city centre for granite blocks in 2005.
[5]
In Brazil, while
Sao Paulo
has almost completely replaced the Portuguese pavement sidewalks of
Paulista Avenue
with a cheaper, more regular type of concrete pavement since 2007,
[5]
other cities such as
Rio de Janeiro
still have nearly ubiquitous Portuguese pavement, particularly in more affluent areas.
It can also be found around the Asuncion Super Centro building in
Asuncion
,
Paraguay
.
[6]
Technique
[
edit
]
Craftsmen lay a bedding of gravel upon a well-compacted trench of
argillaceous
materials, which accommodates the
tessera
stones, acting as a cement.
Calcada as a form of art
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
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Colonial
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