1755 Lisbon Earthquake: From the Docks to the New Baixa

On the morning of 1 November 1755, survivors rushed to the open space of the docks for safety and watched the sea recede, revealing a plain of mud littered with lost cargo and shipwrecks. About 40 minutes after the quake a tsunami engulfed the harbour and downtown. Ribeira Palace, the king's residence, stood on this square and was destroyed; inside, the 70,000-volume royal library was lost. Today the square measures 175 by 175 metres and opens onto the Tagus.

Visitor guidance: The square faces the Tagus and is open to walk across.

The ruined church at the Carmo Convent is the main trace of the earthquake still visible in the old city. The quake completely destroyed the convent library, which held about 5000 volumes, and the 126 clerics living there had to abandon the building. The stone roof over the nave collapsed and was never rebuilt; only the pointed arches between the pillars survive. The ruin is now used as an archaeological museum.

Visitor guidance: The ruined church is an archaeological museum; check opening hours and ticket details locally.

Candles lit in homes and churches for All Saints' Day were knocked over, starting a fire that grew into a firestorm. On the Rossio, the Royal Hospital of All Saints, the largest public hospital of its day, was consumed by flames and hundreds of patients burned to death. The hospital had filled the whole eastern side of the square. Most buildings around the Rossio now date from the rebuilding that followed the earthquake.

Visitor guidance: The square is a public plaza; the surrounding buildings are the Pombaline rebuilding.

The quake destroyed 85% of Lisbon's buildings, but it did not destroy the Alfama. Seismologists estimate the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.7 or greater, with its epicentre in the Atlantic Ocean, yet the old quarter has remained a labyrinth of narrow streets and small squares. Lately the neighbourhood has been restored, with old houses renovated and new restaurants where Fado is sometimes played.

Location precision: The pin marks the district centre; the source does not single out one building that survived.

Visitor guidance: A maze of narrow streets and small squares; Fado is sometimes played in its restaurants.

On 4 December 1755, a little more than a month after the quake, chief engineer Manuel da Maia presented plans for rebuilding Lisbon. The boldest option, razing the entire Baixa quarter, was the one the king and his minister chose. The new downtown introduced early anti-seismic design and prefabricated methods. The triumphal arch, built in the nineteenth century, is a symbol of triumph over the earthquake. Pombal is reported to have said: "Bury the dead and heal the living."

Visitor guidance: The arch stands on Rua Augusta beside the square.