In 1755, Lisbon was one of Europe’s richest cities, with wealth coming from trade, taxes, and its colonies. Palaces, churches, and public buildings showed off its power and wealth. Religion, culture, and commerce were everywhere.
Then, on November 1st, All Saints’ Day, everything changed.
The Earthquake
Around 9:30 a.m., the ground shook violently. The quake lasted 6–7 minutes. It destroyed thousands of buildings, including churches, palaces, and the Royal Library.
After the quake, the Tagus River pulled back, then a huge tsunami hit the city. Boats sank, riverside areas flooded, and many people drowned. Fires started from candles and lamps, spreading fast. By the end, much of Lisbon was ruined.
Death and Chaos
Estimates of deaths vary:
Around 10 to 15,000 in some sources
Some estimates go up to 40,000
Many bodies were never found. Some were buried in mass graves, others thrown into the river. Looting was punished harshly, some thieves were executed immediately.
The King and His Fear
King D. José I survived because he was away from the worst damage. After the quake, he developed a fear of enclosed stone buildings. He lived in wooden tents in Ajuda for years.
Rebuilding the City
At first, some planners suggested moving Lisbon to a new site. But in the end, the city was rebuilt in the same place.
The engineer Manuel da Maia, along with others like Eugénio dos Santos, designed the Baixa Pombalina:
Wide, straight streets
Large squares
Buildings with wooden frames inside stone walls to resist earthquakes
This was early anti-seismic architecture.
The Parish Survey
The Marquês de Pombal ,the king’s right-hand man, acted quickly. He sent questionnaires to every parish to collect information about the quake:
How long did it last?
How many aftershocks?
What damage happened?
Strange events with water or animals?
These responses were saved in the Torre do Tombo archive. Modern scientists still use them to study the 1755 quake. It was one of the first systematic surveys of a natural disaster.
Faith, Philosophy, and Science
The quake happened on a holy day, causing many to question religion: was God punishing Lisbon?
Voltaire criticized religious explanations in Candide
Kant studied natural causes and tried to explain the quake scientifically
The disaster pushed Europe toward reason, observation, and science.
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