Lisbon was first settled in 1200 B.C. by the Phoenicians, a powerful civilization from the south and west coasts of the Mediterranean Sea.
The ancient Greeks referred to Lisbon as Olissipo, the city founded by Ulysses after departing Troy.
Our direct ancestors were the Lusitanians, guided by the Lusitanian hero Viriatus we fought bravely against the Romans but after his murder Lusitania was later integrated in the Roman Empire along with Lisbon.
In the 7th century the city was occupied by the Moors who were Arabs from North Africa and The Middle East. They left behind influences in our art, architecture and in the Portuguese language, amongst other things.
Portuguese Lisbon
In 1147 a combined force led by our first King Afonso Henriques conquered the city and it became part of the recently formed Portugal.
In 1255 Lisbon became the Portuguese Capital due to its central location and its large and important river, the Tagus.
In the 16th century the city became one of the most important and wealthiest ones in the world. The gold from Brazil and spices from the Far East brought an incredible dynamic to the city. Able seaman like Vasco da Gama and Pedro Alvares Cabral skillfully guided our caravels across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
The 1755 Earthquake
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake brought unimaginable destruction and death to the city. Today’s geologists estimate that it reached 9 in the Richter Scale (the maximum is 10) making it the strongest earthquake recorded in history.
Lisbon had 255.000 inhabitants at the time, almost 90.000 died.
The Marquis of Pombal took swift measures to bring the city back on it’s feet and the Lisbon “Baixa” is a direct result of his administrative skills.
The Carnation Revolution: 25th of April 1974
The 25th of April was a military-led coup d’état that overthroned the dictatorship that ruled Portugal for 41 years. It became known as the Carnation Revolution because the people who stormed the streets of Lisbon placed red carnations in the muzzles of the regime soldiers and convinced them to not resist. Four people died during the revolution.
