The Tragic Story of the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake and Tsunami | Portugal [4K]

Intro to the 1755 Lisbon earthquake In this video... 1755 Lisbon earthquake Click the SUBSCRIBE button so you don't miss the new videos coming soon! An earthquake achieves what the law promises but does not in practice maintain - the equality of all men November 1, 2022 - 9:35 - 16 ºC / 61 ºF Hi everyone! Today we remember the most destructive and deadly natural disaster in the history of Portugal, the largest known earthquake to impact Europe, and one of the most devastating earthquakes ever recorded: the 1755 Great Lisbon earthquake. Rua (street) do Arsenal Portugal - Spain Lisbon - Sintra - Cascais - Seixal Praça (square) do Municipio The pillory of Lisbon, it served as a symbol of royal and judicial power, this one dates from around 1783. This is the Lisbon city hall, the seat of the Lisbon municipal government, built between 1865 and 1880. In the late 15th century, King Manuel I, with the lucrative profits from Portugal's monopoly on the transatlantic spice trade, set off on a building spree, renovating the Lisbon landscape. It included the construction of a new royal palace in a new square called Terreiro do Paço The new palace was to be located on the river shore of the Tagus river, giving it the name of Ribeira Palace, or Palace of the Riverside. The new royal palace was located in the heart of renaissance Lisbon, which had become one of the most important cities and ports in all of Europe. The magnificent Ribeira Palace was where the great artists, scientists, navigators, and noblemen from all over Portugal and Europe alike presented themselves. Comércio Square Throughout the centuries the Ribeira Palace was extensively renovated and expanded, complete with one of the largest royal libraries in Europe, and a huge opera house inaugurated just seven months before the 1755 earthquake. Praça do Comércio, also known as Terreiro do Paço After the earthquake, the old Terreiro do Paço square gave rise to a new square, the Praça do Comércio (Commerce Square), although its original name is still widely used. The two towers at the corners of the square are reminiscent of the old tower of the Ribeira Palace November 1, 1755 - 9:39 In the first half of the 18th century, a new period of financial prosperity brought a sense of optimism and excitement to Lisbon. This period of optimism ended on the morning of November 1, 1755, precisely 267 years ago... The 1755 earthquake strikes Lisbon At 9:40am, three separate jolts spaced a few minutes apart violently shook Lisbon, causing fissures 5 meters (16 ft) wide in the city center. The death toll has been estimated at up to 80,000, another 10,000 may have lost their lives in Morocco, northern Africa. Those who survived collapsing buildings fled into the streets, leaving behind lighted candles on church altars and cooking fires in kitchens. King Jose I, the monarch who ruled Portugal in 1755 Intense fires that were likely ignited by curtains and woodwork that fell into the flames spread within minutes throughout the city and burned out of control for days. The royal palace was destroyed, as were tens of thousands of homes, and most examples of Portugal's distinctive 16th-century Manueline architecture, including other famous palaces. Inside the Ribeira Palace, the 70,000-volume royal library as well as hundreds of works of art were lost. Rua da Alfandega The royal archives disappeared together with detailed historical records of explorations by Vasco da Gama and other early navigators. Much of the Portugal's cultural history, preserved in books, art and architecture, was wiped away in an instant. Lisbon was also a major center of Catholicism and was home to Catholic religious authorities I want to show you something interesting... This is the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Our Lady of Conception), rebuilt in 1770 Look at the facade of the church, tell me in the comment section if you see any resemblance to another monument in Lisbon... If you said the Jeronimos Monastery, you are correct! Pombaline downtown Rua da Madalena About 250,000 people lived in Lisbon and, as one of the biggest ports on the Atlantic Ocean, the city played a critical role in world trade. Many of the city’s residents, including hundreds of escaped prisoners, fled Lisbon immediately We are now in the heart of the so called Pombaline Downtown Rua do Comércio The royal family escaped unharmed from the catastrophe King José I and the royal court had left the city, after attending mass at sunrise, fulfilling the wish of one of the king's daughters to spend the day away from Lisbon's city center. The Rua Augusta Arch, built to commemorate Lisbon's reconstruction after the 1755 earthquake Rua Augusta Like the king, the prime minister Sebastião de Melo, more commonly known as the Marquis of Pombal, survived the earthquake. The king and the prime minister immediately launched efforts to rebuild the city Physically, Lisbon recovered with a celerity astonishing for the time, but the shock left its mark upon the thinking of generations to come. In less than a year, the city was cleared of debris The Marquis of Pombal was assigned the task of rebuilding the city Keen to have a new and perfectly ordered city, Pombal imposed a gridiron design over the twisting medieval streets of the downtown neighborhoods. Rua de São Nicolau As the first earthquake studied scientifically for its effects over a large area, it led to the birth of modern seismology and earthquake engineering. Rua Áurea A new Pombal-decreed building code introduced firewalls and a wooden frame called the Pombaline cage that swayed with seismic forces. The buildings and major squares of the Pombaline Downtown of Lisbon are one of its main attractions: they are the world's first earthquake-resistant buildings. The building style, evolved for fast, cheap construction, was Baroque, but virtually stripped of decoration. This architectural style became known as "Pombalino" The wooden frame system was also adopted by other European cities There is the case of the palace built according to the concept of Pombalina cage in the town of Filogaso, Italy. It was the only remaining building after the town was completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1783 The prime minister's response was not limited to the practicalities of reconstruction He ordered a survey sent to all parishes of the country regarding the earthquake and its effects, the Parochial Memories of 1758. Because the Marquis was the first to attempt an objective scientific description of the broad causes and consequences of an earthquake, he is regarded as a forerunner of modern seismological scientists. Over his 22 years in power Pombal would become a controversial figure who used Lisbon's destruction to accumulate and exercise autocratic power. After the catastrophe, King José I developed a fear of living within walls, and the royal court was accommodated in a huge complex of tents and pavilions in the hills of the Ajuda district, then on the outskirts of Lisbon. Rua da Prata I've already made a video in the Ajuda district, it has more information about the 1755 earthquake, the link to this video is in the description below Praça da Figueira The king's claustrophobia never waned, and it was only after José's death that his daughter, Maria I of Portugal, began building the new royal Ajuda Palace, which still stands on the site of the old tented camp. Lisbon was not the only Portuguese city affected by the catastrophe Throughout the south of the country, in particular the Algarve region, destruction was rampant. Even the town of Covilhã, which is located near the Serra da Estrela mountain range, in central inland Portugal, 280 km (175 miles) northeast of Lisbon, was visibly affected by the earthquake. Shocks from the earthquake were felt throughout Europe as far as Finland, and, according to some sources, even in Greenland and the Caribbean. Rossio square Praça do Rossio The All Saints Royal Hospital was a major hospital in Lisbon Built between 1492 and 1504, it was the largest and most important hospital of the Kingdom The hospital was consumed by fire after the earthquake, hundreds of patients burned to death It was never fully rebuilt and was finally demolished in 1775 The main façade of the All Saints Hospital occupied the whole eastern side of Rossio Square Monument to Pedro IV, King of Portugal for two months in 1826, and the founder and first Emperor of newly independent Brazil, from 1822 to 1831, as Pedro I of Brazil. In 1755, the Estaus Palace, also referred to as Palace of the Inquisition, was located at the north end of the Rossio Square. In its place, now stands the National Theater Maria II The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, with a magnitude estimated at 8.5 to 9, is the largest known historic earthquake to impact Europe and northern Africa, releasing as much energy as 32,000 Hiroshima nuclear bombs. Studies have located the epicenter at about 300 km (187 miles) southwest of Lisbon, in the Gorringe Bank, along the Africa-Eurasia tectonic plate boundary. Roasted chestnuts! Location of the Gorringe Bank Several large earthquakes have occurred in this region In fact, of the five largest known historic earthquakes to impact Europe (by magnitude), at least in the last 1000 years, all five struck Lisbon, with similar estimated magnitudes... In 1761, another massive earthquake and tsunami hit Lisbon, with an estimated magnitude of 8.5. It was felt across many parts of Western Europe Its direct effects were even observed far north in Scotland and Holand, and to the south in the Canary Islands of Spain. Records of this disaster are sparse as the Portuguese government censored as much information as possible, in order to avoid panic in the already ruined city. Damage was significant in older parts of the city and among buildings damaged by the 1755 earthquake. but the 1761 earthquake remains a little known secret. Largo (square) do Carmo The Carmo Barracks, headquarters of the National Republican Guard This square and this building were the main stages of the Carnation Revolution, a military coup that took place on April 25th, 1974, but that topic will be for another video. Carmo Fountain ("chafariz" in Portuguese), built in 1796 Ruins of Carmo convent Because November 1st is All Saints’ Day, much of the city's population was gathered for mass in Lisbon's churches and cathedrals, in 1755. The ruins of the Carmo Church and Convent, one of the most famous monuments in Lisbon November 1, 1755 The churches, unable to withstand the seismic shock, collapsed, killing or injuring thousands of people. The earthquake destroyed or severely damaged all the major churches in Lisbon, including the ancient Lisbon Cathedral. The Cathedral and most churches were repaired or rebuilt, but the reconstruction of the 14th-century Carmo Convent was never completed. Its roof collapsed on the congregation as it was attending mass on that All Saints’ Day, but the Gothic arches still stand. The ruined Carmo Convent is one of Lisbon's most hauntingly beautiful sights It was one of Lisbon's greatest medieval buildings, but stands as a reminder of the earthquake that destroyed most of the city. The Santa Justa Lift, also called Carmo Lift, opened in 1899, and is the only remaining vertical lift or elevator in Lisbon. Others are actually funicular railways Construction of the Carmo Convent began in 1393, by order of Nuno Alvares Pereira, the supreme military commander of the Kingdom of Portugal, and one of the highlights of last week's video, in the small town of Aljubarrota. After the death of his wife, Nuno became a friar at the Carmo Convent Nuno Alvares Pereira lived here until his death on November 1st, 1431, All Saints' Day... The Carmo Convent is undergoing renovation work, but we can still visit it Nuno Alvares Pereira, often referred to as the Saint Constable, was beatified by Pope Benedict XV, in 1918, and canonised by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009, due to a miracle that had already been previously confirmed as such by medical and theological commissions. Portugal's national hero, Nuno Alvares Pereira, chose the Carmo Church as his final resting place, but, unfortunately, his tomb was completely destroyed in 1755. The Carmo Church was also the burial site of Christopher Columbus' wife, Filipa Perestrelo, who the famous explorer married in Lisbon's Santiago Church. Tomb of Fernão Sanches (1289/1290 - 1329), illegitimate son of King Dinis I of Portugal Tomb of King Fernando I (1345 - 1383) The ninth king of Portugal left a bad memory for leading the kingdom into a serious national crisis, that almost cost its existence. If you've watched last week's video, in Aljubarrota, you know what I'm talking about If you haven't watched the video yet, the link is in the description below Tomb of Maria Ana of Austria (1683 - 1754), Queen of Portugal from 1708 to 1750 Here's how the Carmo Convent looked like before the 1755 earthquake Wooden copy of the tomb of Nuno Alvares Pereira Other catastrophic earthquakes struck Lisbon throughout history, Chiado neighborhood Rua Nova do Almada There were earthquakes in 1321, 1356 (another 8.5 estimated magnitude), 1531 (30.000 deaths), and in 1969 a 7.8/7.9 magnitude earthquake. The 1969 earthquake was the largest to hit Portugal since 1761, with the epicenter once again situated near the Gorringe Bank. Overall, structures were prepared for this event and responded well, sustaining slight damage. It seems that about every 200 years a large earthquake strikes Lisbon, so we're probably safe for the next 150 years. Lisbon's downtown, the area most affected by the earthquake, is built over unstable ground, as it's located on mud flats and in an alluvial plain at the confluence between two streams. In order to improve those conditions, it was necessary to use tens of thousands of wooden stakes, between 1 and 6 metres long (3 and 20 ft), which could transfer the loads of the buildings to ground that was ideal for foundations, and also increase the soil's resistance and load-bearing capacity. Rua da Conceição Because these wooden stakes are submersed in groundwater they maintain their elasticity and resist rot. The entire downtown, all the buildings, streets and squares you see are still supported by these 260-year old wooden stakes. Many people think this is an urban legend, but it's real, and I'm going to show it to you at the end of the video. Rua Áurea By 2024, Portugal needs to replace fiber-optic cables that connect the mainland to the Azores and Madeira islands. This ocean infrastructure runs right over the tectonic plates of the 1755 earthquake There are plans to integrate seismic sensors into the new cables, which would give Lisbon a few seconds of warning ahead of future earthquakes... We're back at Praça do Comércio, or Terreiro do Paço, which I actually prefer Survivors of the earthquake sought refuge in the harbor at the mouth of the Tagus River, but their relief from the fires and falling debris was short-lived... The final act of this tragedy was about to unfold... Lisbon is hit by a tsunami November 1, 1755 - 10:15 Approximately 35 minutes after the earthquake, massive tsunami waves up to 12 meters in height engulfed the harbor and downtown area, drowning thousands of people. Towns along Portugal's western and southern coasts, southwestern Spain and most of Morocco's Atlantic coast also suffered significant damage and loss of life. The effects of the tsunami were noted as far away as Scotland to the north and in the Caribbean islands across the ocean. As a result of the tsunami that swept across the Atlantic Ocean, 2 people died in Brazil, 6000 km (3750 miles) away from Lisbon. It's time to see the mythical wooden stakes that support Lisbon Submerged wooden stakes Can you see it? These are original wooden stakes from the Pombaline era, they literally support the weight of this building. These wooden stakes are dry, they are not active anymore Rua da Prata Nearly 85% of Lisbon's dwellings were destroyed or substantially damaged by the combined effects of earthquake, fire and tsunami. In total, is it estimated that the earthquake caused losses of almost 50% of Portugal's GDP at the time. I hope you've enjoyed today's video, thank you for watching! 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