Lisbon Earthquake History Walk

The yellow, U-shaped arcade of the Praça do Comércio faces the Tagus River with a massive bronze statue of King José the First in its center. Before the earthquake of seventeen fifty-five leveled the city, the royal palace occupied this…

The Rua Augusta Arch anchors the northern edge of Commerce Square with a heavy stone frame topped by a tall clock and a grouping of allegorical statues. It marks the ceremonial entrance to the city center, rebuilt after the massive…

The entrance to the Núcleo Arqueológico da Rua dos Correeiros sits behind a heavy door that hides layers of history beneath a modern bank building. Below the street level, the site contains the remnants of a fish salting factory from the…

The wavy black and white limestone pattern covering the ground of Rossio Square creates a dizzying optical illusion that makes the entire plaza feel as if it is undulating beneath your feet. Known locally as the Portuguese pavement, this…

The Church of Saint Dominic, or Igreja de São Domingos, features a stark, scorched interior that sets it apart from the gilded excesses of other Lisbon cathedrals. During the nineteen fifty-nine fire, flames gutted the nave, leaving behind…

The Carmo Convent stands as a skeleton of white limestone against the Lisbon skyline, its tall, Gothic arches missing their stone roof. During the great earthquake of seventeen fifty-five, the ceiling collapsed onto the congregation below.…

The Church of São Roque features a stark, unadorned white facade that hides one of the most opulent interiors in Lisbon. When the Jesuits arrived in the sixteenth century, they chose this site for their headquarters, and by the seventeen…