Playing Symmetries. Portuguese Sidewalks

Abstract

Part of the beauty of the Azores lies under the feet of anyone who walks in the archipela- go. The traditional Portuguese pavement decorates public spaces with a very typical aesthetic. These examples illustrate different types of rosettes, friezes, and patterns. The rosettes are limited planar configurations, usually presented in circular frames. The friezes, due to their unidimensional nature, are found on sidewalks. The patterns, which can cover plane surfaces, show up in plazas. All the seven friezes, cyclic rosettes, dihedral rosettes, and some of the seventeen types of wallpa- pers were detected in the Azores islands. In this work, a card deck about the subject is presented. This deck suggests a walk through the 9 islands of the Azores and the symmetries of its pavements.