Page 21 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Lisbon

THE HIST OR Y OF LISBON  19

The Águas Livres aqueduct, completed in the 18th century

Pombal’s Vision monarchy was overturned. Under António
Responsibility for rebuilding the ruined Salazar’s lengthy dictatorship (1926–68),
city fell to José I’s chief minister, the Lisbon’s modernization continued at the
Marquês de Pombal. Engineers drew up expense of the rest of the country.
a plan that realigned Lisbon on a north– A suspension bridge across the Tagus
south axis and created a grid of streets was completed in 1966. Initially called the
with the Baixa at its heart. Pombal’s vision Ponte Salazar, it was later renamed Ponte
was not continued by his successors; when 25 de Abril in commemoration of the
the royal family fled to Brazil in 1807, ahead peaceful Carnation Revolution in 1974
of Napoleon’s invading army, Rio de Janeiro which finally ended the totalitarian
temporarily became the capital of the regime instituted by Salazar.
Portuguese empire, and Lisbon began
to decline. Modern Lisbon
The years following the Revolution
were a period of both euphoria and
political chaos. Then, in 1986, Port ugal
joined the European Community and
foreign companies began to set up in
Lisbon. Under the leadership of the Social
Democratic prime minister Aníbal Cavaco
Silva, Lisbon’s economy recovered. Even
the disastrous fire which swept through
the Chiado district in 1988 failed to
dampen the general optimism. To
The Marquês de Pombal pointing to the new Lisbon, in a mastermind the rebuilding of this historic
painting by Louis-Michel van Loo and Claude-Joseph Vernet district, the city appointed Portugal’s most
prestigious architect, Álvaro Siza Vieira.
Regeneration Since then, Lisbon has enjoyed much
In the second half of the 19th century, prestige, and was voted European City
a period of economic revival and of Culture in 1994. In 1998 the city hosted
industrialization commenced. Railways a World Exposition on the theme of the
and new roads were built, trams were Oceans, in celebration of its maritime
introduced, modern drains and sewers history. Lisbon and several other cities in
were constructed and work began on the Portugal hosted the Euro 2004 football
embankment of the Tagus. In 1908 the king championships with the final being played
was assassinated, and two years later the at Benfica’s famous Estádio da Luz.

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