Like London, Paris, and other large European cities, Lisbon grew from a small village over centuries until it was a huge village with narrow, winding streets and no citywide infrastructure. Portugal was led by the ineffectual Dom José I, but the real power was the Catholic church. Then came the earthquake on November 1, 1755.
Around 9:30 a.m., tremors rumbled beneath the city, ringing Lisbon’s many church bells in unison. Some people recalled a “horrible subterranean noise” right before the ground began to shake in a six-minute-long upheaval that crumpled cathedrals and buried neighborhoods. Within the hour, a six-meter tsunami plowed into the waterfront and killed hundreds who had gathered there seeking safety. Meanwhile, hundreds of small fires, spread by overturned cooking hearths and votive candles, were building into what would become a five-day firestorm. This last blow was the most destructive and razed what was left of the jewel in Portugal’s crown.
The king had no idea what to do in the aftermath of the disaster, so his Minister of State, the Marquis de Pombal, took charge and rebuilt Lisbon with science and an iron hand. Read about the resurrection of Lisbon into the modern world at Hakai magazine. -via Damn Interesting
(Image credit: Jurema Oliveira)