One of the greatest, most destructive earthquakes in human history killed up to 100,000 people when it ripped apart the Portuguese city of Lisbon on November 1, 1755, at 9:40am. It was followed by a tsunami and a fire, resulting in the near-total destruction of the city.
The earthquake was the first one of its kind scientifically studied for its effects over a large area, and brought about many changes in the way we look at seismology and geology. It also produced political tension in Portugal, disrupted its colonial ambitions, and inspired major developments in theodicy and the philosophy of the sublime.
The concept of the sublime, though it existed before 1755, was developed in philosophy and elevated to greater importance by Immanuel Kant, in part as a result of his attempts to comprehend the enormity of the Lisbon quake and tsunami. Kant published three separate texts on the Lisbon earthquake. The young Kant, fascinated by the earthquake, collected
all the information available to him in news pamphlets, and used it to formulate a theory of the causes of earthquakes. Kant’s theory, which involved the shifting of huge subterranean caverns filled with hot gases, was (though ultimately shown to be false) one of the first
systematic modern attempts to explain earthquakes by positing natural, rather than
supernatural, causes.
It also brought about new developments in architecture, for the city was rebuilt with the knowledge and fear of what could happen. Buildings commissioned by prime minister Sebastiao de Melo, the Marquis of Pombal, were among the first seismically-protected
constructions in the world. Small wooden models were built for testing, and earthquakes were simulated by marching troops around them. Not long after the initial crisis, the prime minister and the king quickly hired architects and engineers, and less than a year later, Lisbon was free from debris and undergoing reconstruction. The king was keen to have a new, perfectly ordained city. Large squares and wide, rectilinear avenues were the mottos of the new Lisbon. At the time, somebody asked the Marquis about the need for such wide streets. The marquis answered, “One day they will be small.”
FAST FACTS: portugal
Full name Portugal
Capital city Lisbon
Area 92,391 sq km
Population 10,400,000
Time zone GMT, 0
Languages Portuguese (official)
Currency Euro (€)
Electricity 220V 50Hz
Electric plug details European plug with two circular metal pins
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