Lisbon History Facts and Timeline

(Lisbon, Portugal)

Portugal's capital and largest city Lisbon has a history stretching back centuries earlier than even London or Rome. It is one of Europe's first true cities and remains Portugal's main economic engine and centre for culture and commerce.

Though it is often touted as one of the world's most liveable cities, the story of Lisbon has been peppered with just as much tragedy and destruction as beauty and prosperity.

A Truly Ancient City

Whether it is true or not that the great Greek hero Ulysses was the first to see the shores of Lisbon, there is no doubt that the Phoenicians established a port town here called Alis Ubbo (Safe Shore / Harbour) more than 3,000 years ago. Following in the well-respected footsteps of the Phoenicians, the city was later inhabited by the Greeks, the Carthaginians and finally the Romans, who took over in 205 BC and stayed for the next 600 years.

Moors and Christians

The Arabic Moors arrived from North Africa in the second decade of the 8th century AD and promptly claimed the city as their own. They rebuilt the ancient walls around the city which they renamed Lissabona, and ushered in an important era in the history of Lisbon that lasted some 400 years.

The Moors allowed a multicultural society to exist in Lisbon. Evidence of their own Muslim culture can still be appreciated in the Alfama Quarter, one of the few survivors of the 1755 earthquake that eradicated the city's mosques. Eventually the Christian Reconquista made its way here and after a well-planned siege lasting several months, the Crusaders took the city in the year of 1147.

The Creation of a Capital City

The city's modern history took a new direction in 1260, when King Afonso III relocated his capital from Coimbra to Lisbon. The Middle Ages were a golden era, as the capital boomed during the 15th and 16th centuries thanks to the Portuguese Age of Discovery.

Once the famous Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route to India at the end of the 15th century, the wealth began flowing into Lisbon. The city traded with Africa, Europe and the Far East, and eventually Brazil, when gold was found there in the 1800s. Merchants from around the globe set up shop here and the city developed into one of the most cosmopolitan spots on the planet. Many of the city's great architectural works were built in the 16th century, such as the Jerónimos Monastery and also the Belem Tower, which are now part of the UNESCO historic city centre.

Spanish Rule

The city's ongoing party paused unexpectedly in 1580, when the Spanish Habsburgs took over administration of Portugal. For the next 60 years, the city was run by the dual Spanish-Portuguese throne, until the Portuguese Restoration War returned independence to Portugal. The revolution began with a coup organised by the city's nobility and was a major milestone in the history of Lisbon. Final autonomy was ensured with the 1688 Treaty of Lisbon between the countries of Spain and Portugal.

The 1755 Earthquake

The earthquake that hit Lisbon on the first day of November 1755 devastated this glorious city. There were actually three huge earthquakes, but the ensuing fires and tsunami made sure that the destruction was complete. It is estimated that roughly 30 percent of the city's residents were killed and most of the city was ruined. Lisbon would never return to the heights of glory that it had enjoyed before the 1755 Earthquake.

Political Upheaval

Napoleon took over Lisbon in 1807 and stayed until 1811. The French occupation thrust Portugal into crisis and chaos that would last for decades. The assassination of King Dom Carlos I and his son in 1908 was a turning point in the testy republican movement, bringing no less than 45 changes of government over the next two decades.

Two more relatively placid coups in 1926 and much more recently in 1974 certainly changed things around again. However, when Portugal joined the European Community in 1986, stability slowly began to emerge, and Lisbon has been cleaning itself up with impressive resolve ever since. From restoring the Moorish Alfama Quarter and the city's historic bullring to hosting major international events like the 2004 European Football Championships, Lisbon is on the track to glory again.