Lisabon. / Jordbäfningen i Lisabon 1755.

Title

Lisabon. / Jordbäfningen i Lisabon 1755.

Description

2 views on one sheet. Above view of the city of Lisbon with the Tejo river. Below the earthquake (Jordbävningen) of Lisbon 1755. The city of Lisbon is in flames, ships in front of it capsize in the waves of the tsunami.

ca. 1760

Artist

Scheele

Historical Description

Saint Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in Europe, with a history of settlement by Phoenicians, Romans, and Moors. In 1147, King Afonso I captured the city during the Christian Reconquista. During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Lisbon became Portugal's principal port and a leading center of European maritime trade in the Age of Discovery. The devastating earthquake of 1755 destroyed much of the city, which was subsequently rebuilt under the direction of the Marquis of Pombal according to modern urban planning principles. Today, Lisbon is the capital of Portugal and the country's political, economic, and cultural center.