Lisbon

Capital and largest city of Portugal

This article is about the Governmental capital city. For other uses, see Lisbon (disambiguation) and Lisboa (disambiguation).

Capital city in Lisbon metropolitan area, Portugal

Lisbon Lisboa
From top; left to right: view from São Jorge Castle, Rua Augusta Arch, Eduardo VII Park, Belém Tower, Lisbon Cathedral, and Parque das Nações with Vasco da Gama Bridge.
Lisbon Location within Europe Show map of Europe
Coordinates: 38°43′31″N 09°09′00″W / 38.72528°N 9.15000°W / 38.72528; -9.15000 St. Anthony's Day )
Website	cm-lisboa.pt

Lisbon (

11th-most populous urban area in the European Union.^[4] About 3 million people live in the Lisbon metropolitan area, making it the third largest metropolitan area in the Iberian Peninsula, after Madrid and Barcelona. It represents approximately 27% of the country's population.^[3] It is mainland Europe's westernmost capital city and the only one along the Atlantic coast. Lisbon lies in the western Iberian Peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean and the River Tagus. The westernmost portions of its metro area, the Portuguese Riviera, form the westernmost point of Continental Europe, culminating at Cabo da Roca

.

Lisbon is recognised as an

region in Portugal. Its GDP amounts to US$110.3 billion and thus $39,434 per capita.^[14][15] The city occupies the 40th place of highest gross earnings in the world.^[16] Most of the headquarters of multinational corporations in Portugal are located in the Lisbon area.^[17] It is also the political centre of the country, as its seat of government and residence of the head of state

.

Lisbon is one of the

Afonso Henriques conquered the city

and since then it has been the political, economic and cultural centre of Portugal.

Etymology

Lisbon's name may have been derived from

Olisippo, Lissoppo, or a similar name which other visiting peoples like the ancient Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans adapted accordingly, such as the pre-Roman appellation for the Tagus River, Lisso or Lucio. Classical authors writing in Latin and Greek, including Strabo, Solinus, and Martianus Capella,^[21][22] referred to popular legends that the city of Lisbon was founded by the mythical hero Ulysses (Odysseus).^[23][24] Lisbon's name was written Ulyssippo in Latin by the geographer Pomponius Mela, a native of Hispania. It was later referred to as "Olisippo" by Pliny the Elder and by the Greeks as Olissipo (Ὀλισσιπών) or Olissipona (Ὀλισσιπόνα).^[25][26]

Another claim repeated in literature is that the name of Lisbon could be traced back to Phoenician times, referring to a supposed Phoenician term Alis-Ubbo, meaning "safe harbour" or "pleasant haven".[27]^[28][29] Although modern archaeological excavations show a Phoenician presence at this location since 1200 BC,^[30] this folk etymology "is never attested in ancient classical literature".^[31]

Lisbon's name is commonly abbreviated as "LX" or "Lx", originating in an antiquated spelling of Lisbon as ‘‘Lixbõa’’.^[32] While the old spelling has since been completely dropped from usage and goes against modern language standards, the abbreviation is still commonly used.

History

Main article: History of Lisbon

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Lisbon.

Origins

Phoenician archaeological dig in a cloister of the Lisbon Cathedral

During the

Pre-Indo-European population, thus giving rise to Celtic-speaking local tribes such as the Cempsi or Sefes

.

Although the first fortifications on Lisbon's

Tagus River estuary was an ideal spot for an Iberian settlement and would have provided a secure harbour for unloading and provisioning Phoenician ships.^[40] The Tagus settlement was an important centre of commercial trade with the inland tribes, providing an outlet for the valuable metals, salt and salted-fish they collected, and for the sale of the Lusitanian horses

renowned in antiquity.

According to a persistent legend, the location was named for the mythical Ulysses, who founded the city when he sailed westward to the ends of the known world.^[29]

Roman era

Main article: Olisipo

Part of the Cerca Velha (Old Wall), originally built by the Romans^[41]

Following the defeat of

Emerita Augusta

).

Asia Minor), in addition to temples to the Emperor; a large necropolis under Praça da Figueira; a large forum and other buildings such as insulae (multi-storied apartment buildings) in the area between Castle Hill and the historic city core. Many of these ruins were first unearthed during the mid-18th century (when the recent discovery of Pompeii

made Roman archaeology fashionable among Europe's upper classes).

The city prospered as

Emerita Augusta, the capital of Lusitania. The city was ruled by an oligarchical council dominated by two families, the Julii and the Cassiae, although regional authority was administered by the Roman Governor of Emerita or directly by Emperor Tiberius. Among the majority of Latin

speakers lived a large minority of Greek traders and slaves.

Olissipo, like most great cities in the Western Empire, was a center for the dissemination of Christianity. Its first attested

Fall of Rome

, Olissipo had become a notable Christian center.

São Jorge Castle and the surrounding neighborhoods of Castelo, Mouraria, and Alfama

Middle Ages

Following the disintegration of the Western Roman Empire, there were

Bracara Augusta, also controlled the region of Lisbon until 585. In 585, the Suebi Kingdom was integrated into the Germanic Visigothic

Kingdom of Toledo, which comprised all of the Iberian Peninsula: Lisbon was then called Ulishbona.

Afonso Henriques reconquered the city from the Almoravid Empire at the 1147 siege of Lisbon

.

On 6 August 711, Lisbon was taken by

Mozarabic

was the native language spoken by most of the Christian population although Arabic was widely known as spoken by all religious communities. Islam was the official religion practised by the Arabs, Berbers, Saqaliba and Muwallad.

The Muslim influence is still visible in the Alfama district, an old quarter of Lisbon that survived the 1755 Lisbon earthquake: many place-names are derived from Arabic and the Alfama (the oldest existing district of Lisbon) was derived from the Arabic "al-hamma".

For a brief time, Lisbon was an independent Muslim kingdom known as the Taifa of Lisbon (1022–1094), before being conquered by the larger Taifa of Badajoz.

In 1108 Lisbon was raided and occupied by

Almoravids

in 1111.

The 1384 siege of Lisbon in Froissart's Chronicles

In 1147, as part of the

Muslim Spain and North Africa

. All mosques were either completely destroyed or converted into churches. As a result of the end of Muslim rule, spoken Arabic quickly lost its place in the everyday life of the city and disappeared altogether.

With its central location, Lisbon became the capital city of the new Portuguese territory in 1255. The first Portuguese university was founded in Lisbon in 1290 by King

Studium Generale (General Study) was transferred intermittently to Coimbra, where it was installed permanently in the 16th century as the University of Coimbra

.

In 1384, the city was besieged by King

1383–1385 Crisis. The result of the siege was a victory for the Portuguese led by Nuno Álvares Pereira

.

During the last centuries of the Middle Ages, the city expanded substantially and became an important trading post with both Northern European and Mediterranean cities.

Early Modern

The oldest known panorama of Lisbon (1500–1510) from the Crónica de Dom Afonso Henriques by Duarte Galvão

When the Spaniards expelled the Jews from Spanish territory, many of the Jews fled to Lisbon. Although acknowledging the central importance of the Jews to the city's prosperity,

Old Christians of Lisbon culminated in a massacre lasting four days in which some 1,000 to 4,000 New Christian men, women and children, converted descendants of Sephardic Jews, are estimated to have been killed.^[44] The king was at Évora when these events occurred, but angered when he received the news, he ordered an investigation which resulted in two of the instigating friars being excommunicated and burned alive.^[45]

Most of the Portuguese expeditions of the

UNESCO World Heritage Sites). A description of Lisbon in the 16th century was written by Damião de Góis and published in 1554.^[46]

Portuguese discoverers

.

Ribeira Palace and the Terreiro do Paço depicted in 1662 by Dirk Stoop

The

bourgeoisie in Lisbon and executed on 1 December 1640, restored Portuguese independence. The period from 1640 to 1668 was marked by periodic skirmishes between Portugal and Spain, as well as short episodes of more serious warfare until the Treaty of Lisbon

was signed in 1668.

In the early 18th century, gold from Brazil allowed King John V to sponsor the building of several Baroque churches and theatres in the city. Prior to the 18th century, Lisbon had experienced several significant earthquakes – eight in the 14th century, five in the 16th century (including the 1531 earthquake that destroyed 1,500 houses and the 1597 earthquake in which three streets vanished), and three in the 17th century.

On 1 November 1755, the city was destroyed by another

Peniche, situated about 80 km (50 mi) north of Lisbon, many people were killed by the following tsunami

.

The 1755 Lisbon earthquake

devastated Lisbon with an estimated magnitude between 8.5 and 9.0.

By 1755, Lisbon was one of the largest cities in Europe; the catastrophic event shocked the whole of Europe and left a deep impression on its collective psyche.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

also mentions it in his 1857 poem, The Deacon's Masterpiece, or The Wonderful One-Hoss Shay.

After the 1755 earthquake, the city was rebuilt largely according to the plans of Prime Minister

Praça do Rossio and the Praça do Comércio. The first, the central commercial district, is the traditional gathering place of the city and the location of the older cafés, theatres and restaurants; the second became the city's main access to the River Tagus and point of departure and arrival for seagoing vessels, adorned by a triumphal arch (1873) and a monument to King Joseph I

.

Modern era

The Proclamation of the Portuguese Republic

in 1910

In the first years of the 19th century, Portugal was invaded by the troops of

Napoléon Bonaparte, forcing Queen Maria I and Prince-Regent John

(future John VI) to flee temporarily to Brazil. By the time the new King returned to Lisbon, many of the buildings and properties were pillaged, sacked or destroyed by the invaders.

During the 19th century, the Liberal movement introduced new changes into the urban landscape. The principal areas were in the Baixa and along the Chiado district, where shops, tobacconists shops, cafés, bookstores, clubs and theatres proliferated. The development of industry and commerce determined the growth of the city, seeing the transformation of the Passeio Público, a Pombaline era park, into the Avenida da Liberdade, as the city grew farther from the Tagus.

Lisbon was the site of the regicide of Carlos I of Portugal in 1908, an event which culminated two years later in the establishment of the First Republic.

1755 Lisbon Earthquake

.

Queen Maria II National Theatre

was built in 1842.

The city refounded its university in 1911 after centuries of inactivity in Lisbon, incorporating reformed former colleges and other non-university higher education schools of the city (such as the Escola Politécnica – now Faculdade de Ciências). Today there are two public universities in the city (

Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa

).

During

World War II, Lisbon was one of the very few neutral, open European Atlantic ports, a major gateway for refugees to the U.S. and a haven for spies. More than 100,000 refugees were able to flee Nazi Germany via Lisbon.^[53]

During the Estado Novo regime (1926–1974), Lisbon was expanded at the cost of other districts within the country, resulting in nationalist and monumental projects. New residential and public developments were constructed; the zone of Belém was modified for the 1940 Portuguese Exhibition, while along the periphery new districts appeared to house the growing population. The inauguration of the bridge over the Tagus allowed a rapid connection between both sides of the river.

Lisbon was the site of three revolutions in the 20th century. The first, the

Portuguese Second Republic

, as the ruling regime.

Contemporary

The Treaty of Lisbon, which forms the constitutional basis of the European Union, was signed at the Jerónimos Monastery

in 2007.

The

Portuguese Third Republic

.

In the 1990s, many of the districts were renovated and projects in the historic quarters were established to modernise those areas, for instance, architectural and patrimonial buildings were renovated, the northern margin of the Tagus was re-purposed for leisure and residential use, the Vasco da Gama Bridge was constructed and the eastern part of the municipality was re-purposed for Expo '98 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Vasco da Gama's sea voyage to India, a voyage that would bring immense riches to Lisbon and cause many of Lisbon's landmarks to be built.

In 1988, a fire in the historical district of Chiado saw the destruction of many 18th-century Pombaline style buildings. A series of restoration works has brought the area back to its former self and made it a high-scale shopping district.

The

2007 EU Summit, where an agreement was reached regarding a new EU governance model. The resulting Treaty of Lisbon

was signed on 13 December 2007 and came into force on 1 December 2009.

Lisbon has been the site for many international events and programmes. In 1994, Lisbon was the

Group of Seven Plus (G7+). In 2018 it hosted the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time as well as the Michelin Gala.^[56] On 11 July 2018, the Aga Khan officially chose the Henrique de Mendonça Palace, located on Rua Marquês de Fronteira, as the Divan, or seat, of the global Nizari Muslim Imamate.^[57][58]

Geography

Map of the 24 freguesias

(administrative divisions of the city) of Lisbon grouped by zone:

  Historic Center

  Western Lisbon

  Central Lisbon

  Eastern Lisbon

  Northern Lisbon

Physical geography

Tagus River

Lisbon is located at 38°42′49.75″N 9°8′21.79″W / 38.7138194°N 9.1393861°W / 38.7138194; -9.1393861, situated at the mouth of the

The westernmost part of Lisbon is occupied by the Monsanto Forest Park, a 10 km² (4 sq mi) urban park, one of the largest in Europe, and occupying 10% of the municipality.

The city occupies an area of 100.05 km² (39 sq mi), and its city boundaries, unlike those of most major cities, coincide with those of the municipality.

Lisbon has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa)^[60] with mild, rainy winters and warm to hot, dry summers. The average annual temperature is 17.4 °C (63.3 °F), 21.3 °C (70.3 °F) during the day and 13.5 °C (56.3 °F) at night.

In the coldest month – January – the highest temperature during the day typically ranges from 11 to 19 °C (52 to 66 °F), the lowest temperature at night ranges from 3 to 13 °C (37 to 55 °F) and the average sea temperature is 16 °C (61 °F).^[61] In the warmest month – August – the highest temperature during the day typically ranges from 25 to 32 °C (77 to 90 °F), the lowest temperature at night ranges from 14 to 20 °C (57 to 68 °F) and the average sea temperature is around 20 °C (68 °F).^[61]

Among European capitals, Lisbon ranks among those with the warmest winters and has the mildest winter nights out of any major European city, with an average of 8.3 °C (46.9 °F) in the coldest month, and 18.6 °C (65.5 °F) in the warmest month. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Lisbon was −1.2 °C (30 °F) in February 1956. The highest temperature ever recorded in Lisbon was 44.0 °C (111.2 °F) on 4 August 2018.^[62]

The city has around 2,806 hours of sunshine per year, averaging 4.6 hours of sunshine per day in December and 11.4 hours of sunshine per day in July, though when disregarding the duration of the day August is actually the sunniest, with over 80% chance of direct sunlight hitting the ground.^[63]

Lisbon has around 750 mm (30 in) of precipitation per year. November and December are the wettest months, accounting for a third of the total annual precipitation. July and August are the driest.^[64]

Freguesias

The municipality of Lisbon included 53

Neighborhoods

Partial view of Lisbon's waterfront districts from the Tagus River

Locally, Lisbon's inhabitants may commonly refer to the spaces of Lisbon in terms of historic Bairros de Lisboa (neighbourhoods). These communities have no clearly defined boundaries and represent distinctive quarters of the city that have in common a historical culture, similar living standards, and identifiable architectural landmarks, as exemplified by the Bairro Alto, Alfama, Chiado, and so forth.

Alcântara

Alcântara from the Port of Lisbon

Alfama, with the churches of S. Vicente de Fora, S. Engrácia, and S. Estêvão

, and the Tagus river behind

View from the São Jorge Castle, including the Praça do Comércio on the waterfront

It is a historical quarter of mixed-use buildings occupied by Fado bars, restaurants, and homes with small shops downstairs. Modernising trends have invigorated the district: old houses have been re-purposed or remodelled, while new buildings have been constructed. Fado, the typically Portuguese style of melancholy music, is common (but not obligatory) in the restaurants of the district.

Mouraria

The Mouraria, or Moorish quarter, is one of the most traditional neighbourhoods of Lisbon,^[67] although most of its old buildings were demolished by the Estado Novo between the 1930s and the 1970s.^[68] It takes its name from the fact that after the reconquest of Lisbon, the Muslims who remained were confined to this part of the city.^[69] In turn, the Jews were confined to three neighbourhoods called "Judiarias".^[70]

Bairro Alto