Algarve Chimneys
Apparently something of a vestige of the Moorish occupation of the 12th and 13th centuries, the strangely ornate and often fanciful pieces that adorn the tops of chimneys in the Algarve add an air of exoticism to what is, after all, a decidedly European vacation spot.
Yet, so often, as I drive or walk around in Algarve, I’m stopped in my tracks (okay, so not so much when I’m driving, since I tend to concentrate on the road and its other users) by another wonderful example of this decorative art.
And so I’ve decided to capture some of my favourites on camera and display them here in order that everyone can savour the joys and the sheer eccentricity of Algarve chimney pots.
Of course, I’ll add to the collection as and when I encounter any new and worthy specimens that might amuse or entertain you.
So, where did the genre spring from? Nobody seems to know. The art can't be traced back for more than a couple of centuries, it seems, before which its genesis is obscure. Probably, the original - and most fanciful - designs were intended to express something of the character of the houseowner. It's likely that they were directly commissioned from the artisans who produced them. Quite what the observer was meant to read into some of the chimneys is not obvious, but most are pleasing to the eye. Which is good enough for this particular rubber-necking ex-tourist!
Nowadays, most chimneys are probably 'standard' to a particular manufacturer, despite their apparent multiplicity of design. There are probably thousands of Alarve outlets that sell artisan products, and the visual variety is likely due to differences in regional character or the whimsy of the idividual artisan. I'm rarely without my trusty digi-camera these days, so I'll be snapping away during my travels around the area to bring you more examples of Algarve chimneys - from the plain...
... to the plain weird.
So check back often for updates on my new Algarve Chimneys page and see what I've spotted lately.
See you again soon! Return from Algarve Chimneys to Home page Back to top 
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One of the salient features I noticed when I first started holidaying here was the splendid variety of Algarve chimneys and the pots that adorn them.
My research suggests that there's nothing to link the design of Algarve chimneys to the Moorish occupation so many centuries ago - appearances nothwithstanding! Some even doubt that the Moors employed what we would recognise as chimneys in their architectural designs.
