Puebla's Talavera Tiles

When I think of Puebla, what always come to mind first are the brightly colored Talavera tiles that turn the domes and facades of this Mexican city's many churches and other handsome Spanish colonial buildings into geometric fantasies. These mesmerizing azulejos (tiles) date back to the 16th century, when tile-makers from Talavera, Spain, settled in Mexico and began producing the durable Talavera pottery and tiles for which Puebla has become famous. Puebla's artisans eventually added Italian, Chinese and indigenous designs to the original Moorish ones, creating what has become a truly Mexican ceramic tradition.

Below is a slide-show featuring some of my photos of Puebla's Talavera tiles. Move the cursor over the screen to read captions. Click on individual images for information about ordering prints or leasing photos for personal, editorial, or commercial use.


Puebla's Talavera Tiles - Images by John Mitchell