When we ride through Lisbon today — across the wide squares of Baixa, along its straight streets and always close to the Tagus River — it’s hard to imagine that this city was once very different.
On our bike tours — whether on the Belém tour, the City Center tours (7 Hills and Downtown), or even on the Sintra tour — we often talk about the 1755 earthquake.
Not only as a historical event, but as a moment that, beyond changing the way Europe thought about the world, profoundly transformed the city, the country, and even the global economy.
The video we share in this article helps visualize something that words alone cannot always fully explain: what Lisbon was like before the catastrophe.
A Powerful and Cosmopolitan Capital
Before 1755, Lisbon was one of the richest and most influential cities in Europe.
As the capital of a global empire, it was the arrival point for gold, spices, sugar, textiles and ideas coming from Brazil, Africa, Asia and the rest of Europe.
The port was alive with activity - merchants, sailors, diplomats and travelers crossed paths daily along the banks of the Tagus.
The city was densely built, filled with churches, convents, palaces, markets and tall buildings — many of them constructed largely in wood.
Architecturally, Lisbon was a medieval labyrinth: narrow, winding streets and layered neighborhoods full of life and character.
The Day Everything Changed
On the morning of November 1st, 1755, All Saints’ Day, Lisbon was struck by one of the most violent earthquakes ever recorded in Europe and in the world.
Within minutes:
- buildings collapsed,
- fires spread for several days,
- and a tsunami flooded the riverside areas.
It is estimated that around 85% of Lisbon disappeared, with large parts of the city completely destroyed.
The impact was not only physical.
The great earthquake of 1755 shook religious, philosophical and political beliefs throughout Europe.
Thinkers such as Voltaire wrote about the event, while kings, engineers, architects and scientists began questioning how cities were built — and how they should be built in the future.
The Birth of the Lisbon We Know Today
From destruction, a new city was born.
Under the leadership of the Marquis of Pombal, Lisbon was rebuilt with a vision that was revolutionary for its time:
- wide, orthogonal streets
- large, functional squares
- buildings designed to resist earthquakes
- an organized, rational and modern city.
The Baixa Pombalina, which we cycle through on our tours today, is the direct result of this reconstruction — one of the earliest examples of modern urban planning in the world.
Why We Talk About This on Our Tours
When we show Lisbon by bike, we don’t just point out monuments — we tell stories, and we tell history.
The 1755 earthquake is a fundamental part of the history of Lisbon, Portugal and even the world. On our bike tours, it is especially important to understand:
- why the city has its current layout
- why certain neighborhoods disappeared
- why Lisbon feels both ancient and surprisingly modern
- why the Tagus River plays such a central role in city life
Watching this video before or after visiting Lisbon helps connect the dots and realize that what feels natural today is actually the result of one of the greatest urban transformations in European history.
An Invitation to See Lisbon With Different Eyes
As we ride through the city, we always invite our guests to imagine:
“What would it have been like to stand here before 1755?”
This video is an excellent way to travel back in time and understand the historical, economic and social scale of the Lisbon that was lost — and the Lisbon that was reborn.
Because discovering Lisbon is not only about seeing what exists today,
but also about understanding what was lost, what changed, and what remains.
