Azulejos

Historical Building

By Kris Dreessen

When Europeans discovered the rubber tree in the late 1800s, entrepreneurs and money poured into the Amazon for a time. Wealthy rubber barons built grand mansions in Iquitos and indulged in such extravagances as ordering exquisitely painted ceramic tiles from Portugal, called azulejos. They used them to adorn walls, inside and out. The rubber boom was soon bust but azulejos can still be seen on many buildings in Iquitos, many along Raimondi, Malecón Maldonado and Malecón Tarapacá. Tile designs are intricate, colorful and weave in many delicate lines on a single tile, in reds, blues, golds, greens and other colors. One of the best examples of azulejos is a three-story mansion across from the dolphin statue on Tarapacá. The former mansion is now home to the military. Tiles of blue, turquoise and tan dominate the entire façade, which is highlighted with classic architecture and more than a dozen arched doorways and dozens of tall windows. Azulejos also brighten a courtyard centerpiece in the Museo Etnográfico, at the intersection of Tarapacá and Morona.