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We start our tour in Lisbon, a very interesting and friendly city.
"The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon earthquake, hit the Iberian Peninsula and Northwest Africa on the morning of Saturday, 1 November, Feast of All Saints, at around 09:40 local time. In combination with subsequent fires and a tsunami, the earthquake almost completely destroyed Lisbon and adjoining areas. ... Estimates place the death toll in Lisbon around 30,000–40,000. A further 10,000 may have died in Morocco." --Wikipedia
"Contemporary reports state that the earthquake lasted from three and a half to six minutes, causing fissures 5 metres (16 ft) wide in the city center. Survivors rushed to the open space of the docks for safety and watched as the sea receded, revealing a plain of mud littered with lost cargo and shipwrecks. Approximately 40 minutes after the earthquake, a tsunami engulfed the harbor and downtown area, rushing up the Tagus river "so fast that several people riding on horseback ... were forced to gallop as fast as possible to the upper grounds for fear of being carried away. It was followed by two more waves. Candles lit in homes and churches all around the city for All Saints' Day were knocked over, starting a fire that developed into a firestorm which burned for hours in the city, asphyxiating people up to 30 metres (98 ft) from the blaze." --Wikipedia
"While no exact tally of the total losses was ever made, it was estimated that approximately 10% of the nation’s wealth was consumed by the earthquake’s devastation."
"King José I (1717-77) and his court escaped since they were in Belém, three miles from the centre of Lisbon, when the tremor struck. Upon hearing of the rubble that was once Lisbon, the King, at wits’ end (so the story goes), turned to his assembled nobles and asked what could be done to combat this ‘Infliction of Divine Justice’? Amidst much hand wringing and urging of more fervent prayer came the alleged and legendary response of his Minister for Foreign Affairs, José de Carvalho e Mello (later to obtain the title of the Marquês de Pombal and by which he is referred in this paper): ‘Bury the dead and feed the living’. The King was so awestruck at Pombal’s calm and rational response that he quickly directed Pombal to take charge of bringing order back to the city. With the King’s approval and powers of martial law, Pombal took immediate action. Within a matter of days, a food distribution system, the interment of the dead at sea (even with the cooperation of an often reluctant Catholic clergy) and the establishment of law and order were all undertaken according to his direction. The army was deployed to prevent people from fleeing the country, looters were summarily hanged, and pleas for special treatment from the nobles and clergy were ignored. Pombal quickly became a heroic figure among the Portuguese people, a phenomenon that has made it exceedingly difficult to ascertain what he actually accomplished during the immediate aftermath of the earthquake. However, there is no doubt that his efforts effectively started Lisbon on the road to recovery." --John R. Mullin, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
The Rua Augusta Arch was constructed to commemorate reconstruction after the quake. Construction of the arch began in 1755 and was completed in 1873.
The arch sits along one side of Praça do Comércio, a huge square near the Tagus river. In the square is an equestrian Statue of King José I. It was created by sculptor Joaquim Machado de Castro in 1775. The statue sits atop a large decorated limestone pedestal about 14 meters high.
There were references to the great quake throughout Lisbon, or Lisboa as the city is known by locally. Remains of the quake dot the city. One example is the Convento do Carmo. The monastery was founded in 1389.
"Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world and the second-oldest European capital city (after Athens), predating other modern European capitals by centuries. Settled by pre-Celtic tribes and later founded and civilised by the Phoenicians, Julius Caesar made it a municipium called Felicitas Julia, adding the term to the name Olisipo. After the fall of the Roman Empire, it was ruled by a series of Germanic tribes from the 5th century, most notably the Visigoths. Later it was captured by the Moors in the 8th century. In 1147, Afonso Henriques conquered the city and in 1255, it became Portugal's capital, replacing Coimbra. It has since been the political, economic, and cultural centre of the country." --Wikipedia
In the district of Chiado where we stayed, is a sculpture of Portuguese poet António Ribeiro, known as O Chiado or O Poeta Chiado. O Chiado was a satirical poet of the sixteenth century. --Wikipedia
The Chiado District is named after this poet.
António Ribeiro
Café A Brasileira, established 1905, was a popular meeting place for Portuguese intellectuals and poets.
In Chiado is a monument sculpted by Victor Bastos and unveiled in 1867. It depicts the national poet Luis de Camões holding a sword and a copy of his epic poem Os Luisíadas in Luis de Camões square. Luís Vaz de Camões c. 1524 or 1525 – 10 June 1580), is considered Portugal's and the Portuguese language's greatest poet. His mastery of verse has been compared to that of Shakespeare, Milton, Vondel, Homer, Virgil and Dante. --Wikipedia
The Rossio Railway Station, completed in 1890, was commissioned by the Portuguese Royal Railway Company and was designed between 1886 and 1887 by Portuguese architect José Luís Monteiro.
The sculpture is of King Sebastian (1557-1578)
Santa Justa Lift, 45 meters high, was built in 1902 by Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard to connect the lower Baixa district with the higher Largo do Carmo. The hills of Lisbon have always presented a problem for travel between the lower streets of the main Baixa and the higher Largo do Carmo (Carmo Square). In order to facilitate the movement between the two, the civil and military engineer Roberto Arménio presented a project to the Lisbon municipal council in 1874.--Wikipedia
On one of the struts is "Sofia," a striking, monochromatic urban sculpture by Superlinox, an anonymous Portuguese artist often dubbed the "Portuguese Banksy". Depicting a confident woman holding a handheld crumb vacuum, it aims to celebrate female conviction and self-respect, mysteriously appearing in Lisbon's historic Chiado district. --Google
Pastel de nata, literally cream pastry, is a famous Portuguese egg custard tart pastry, optionally dusted with cinnamon. There are pastel de nada shops throughout Lisbon, the original and most famous being in Belém, a historic riverfront district in western Lisbon. The recipe of the Belém original tarts is perhaps the most closely guarded secret in Portugal. I can attest to them being quite delicious.
More photos of Lisbon...
São Jorge Castle, sometimes known in English as Saint George's Castle, is a historic castle in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. Human occupation of the castle hill dates to at least the 8th century BC while the oldest fortifications on the site date from the 2nd century BC. The hill on which Saint George's Castle stands has played an important part in the history of Lisbon, having served as the location of fortifications occupied successively by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, and Moors, before its conquest by the Portuguese in the 1147 Siege of Lisbon. Since the 12th century, the castle has variously served as a royal palace, a military barracks, home of the Torre do Tombo National Archive, and now as a national monument and museum. --Wikipedia
The sardines seller. Portugal is famous for its sardines, which are important to the Portuguese culture and identity. Festivals take place in the summertime when fresh sardines are plentiful. Canned sardines are widely available year-round.
Two Rolls Royce automobiles parked outside of a five-star hotel.
Rossio Square in Lisbon features two identical, 19th-century monumental Baroque fountains. Located on the north and south ends of the square, they were cast in France and placed there in 1889. They feature bronze sculptures of mermaids, cherubs, and mythological figures. --Wikipedia
The Monument of the Discoveries is a monument located along the Tagus River where ships departed to explore and trade with India and the Orient. The monument celebrates the Portuguese Age of Discovery (or "Age of Exploration") during the 15th and 16th centuries. It was Inaugurated in 1960. --Wikipedia
The Igreja de Santa Catarina (Church of Saint Catherine) is a Baroque Roman Catholic church in Lisbon, Portugal. It is renowned for its richly ornate interior, particularly the elaborate gilded woodwork and a dramatic stucco ceiling that exemplify Portugal’s late Baroque artistry. --Wikipedia
Next: Cities Tour Part 2 - Lisbon, second look.
