01/11/2025
TODAY IN HISTORY!
November 1, 1775, marks one of the most significant turning points in Portuguese history: the Lisbon Earthquake, a catastrophe that reshaped the country and reverberated across Europe. Striking during morning Mass on All Saints’ Day, the massive quake toppled churches, palaces, homes, and public buildings in seconds. The destruction was compounded by a devastating tsunami that surged up the Tagus River and by fires that burned for nearly a week, ultimately killing an estimated 30,000 to 50,000 people in Lisbon alone.
The aftermath of the disaster transformed Portugal’s political landscape and opened the door to an unprecedented program of state-led reform. The Marquis of Pombal, then Secretary of State, quickly assumed control of emergency response operations, famously declaring, “Bury the dead and feed the living.” His decisive leadership centralized royal authority and allowed him to enact sweeping Enlightenment-inspired measures, from reorganizing national finances and education to curbing clerical power and strengthening the state’s administrative machinery.
Urban planning and scientific inquiry also entered a new era in the wake of the earthquake. Pombal’s government launched one of Europe’s first systematic studies of seismic activity, sending out questionnaires across the kingdom to gather data. Lisbon’s downtown was rebuilt according to rational, modern principles, giving rise to the iconic Baixa Pombalina—an early model of anti-seismic architecture and urban design. The event left a lasting mark on philosophy and culture, influencing thinkers like Voltaire and shaping European debates about faith, nature, and the limits of human control.
More @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1755_Lisbon_earthquake
