Great Lisbon Earthquake
How an earthquake in 1755 flattened Lisbon and led to a revolution in European thought.
On All Saints Day 1755, the Portuguese city of Lisbon was hit by a triple disaster - an earthquake, followed by a tsunami and a fire.
One of the most splendid cities in Europe suffered massive damage and thousands of people were killed.
The disaster also led to debate across Europe about whether earthquakes were a natural phenomenon or a message from God.
Witness brings together accounts by British survivors of the earthquake, and hears from Edward Paice, author of Wrath of God - the Great Lisbon Earthquake.
Image: Lisbon before the earthquake (Hulton Archive/Getty Images).
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- Tue 15 Nov 2011 13:50GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Online
- Tue 15 Nov 2011 22:50GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Online
- Sat 19 Nov 2011 23:50GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Online
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Archive 2011—Witness History
The story of our times told by the people who were there.
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Witness History
History as told by the people who were there
