Page 26 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Lisbon

24  introducing lisbon

The 1755 Lisbon Earthquake

the first tremor of the devastating earthquake was felt
at 9:30am on 1 november. A few minutes later there was
a second, far more violent shock, reducing over half the city
to rubble. Although the epicentre was close to the Algarve,
lisbon, as the most populated area, bore the worst damage.
over 20 churches collapsed, crushing the crowds who had
assembled for All saints’ day. A third shock was followed by
fires which quickly spread. An hour later, huge waves came
rolling in from the tagus and flooded the lower part of the
city. Most of Portugal suffered damage and the shock was This anonymous painting of the
felt as far away as italy. Perhaps 15,000 people lost their arrival of a papal ambassador at court
lives in lisbon alone. in 1693 shows how Terreiro do Paço
looked before the earthquake.
Some buildings that might have
survived an earthquake alone were
destroyed by the fire that followed.

The old royal palace, the 16th-century
Paço da Ribeira, was utterly ruined by the
earthquake and ensuing flood.

The royal family was staying at the
palace in Belém, a place far less affected
than Lisbon, and survived the disaster
unscathed. Here the king surveys the
city’s devastation.
Ships crammed full of people fleeing
the fire were wrecked and anchors
thrown up to water level.

The Reconstruction of Lisbon
No sooner had the tremors
abated than Sebastião José de
Carvalho e Melo, chief minister
to José I and later to become
Marquês de Pombal, was
outlining ideas for rebuilding
the city. While philosophers
moralized, Pombal reacted
with practicality. “Bury the
dead and feed the living” is said
This detail is from a votive painting dedicated Marquês de Pombal to have been his initial
to Nossa Senhora da Estrela, given by a grateful (1699–1782) response. He then began
father in thanks for the sparing of his daughter’s a progressive town-planning
life in the earthquake. The girl was found scheme. His efficient handling of the crisis won him
miraculously alive after being buried under almost total political control.
rubble for 7 hours.

LS_024-025.indd 24 17/10/14 5:48 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Starsight history template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.2)
Date 7th January 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm