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Lisbon: Overview and History
Home » Portugal » Lisbon: Overview and History » Lisbon: Overview and HistoryLisbon is the largest city in Portugal and also its capital. Lisbon's population is 564,657, and the greater Lisbon area has a population of 2,760,723 and is the fastest growing area in Portugal. The city is divided into 53 parishes. The westernmost capital of mainland Europe, Lisbon is located on the Atlantic Ocean coast right where the Tagus River connects with the Atlantic. Historic Lisbon is built on seven hills. Since some of the streets are too steep for motor vehicles, the city employs three funiculars and one elevator. The Monsanto Natural Park, one of the largest urban parks in Europe, occupies most of the western side of the city.
During the Neolithic era, or the “new” Stone Age, the land that is now Lisbon was occupied by the Iberians. The Iberians, who also inhabited other parts of Atlantic Europe, built religious monuments called megaliths, some of which are still present around Lisbon today. After the first millennium BC, Celts invaded and intermarried with the Iberians. From this intermingling came new, Celtic-speaking tribes such as the Conii and Cempsi.
Evidence shows that a Phoenician trading post was once operated in what is now Lisbon's city center. This is probably because of Lisbon's harbor, which made this area an ideal spot for trading, since Phoenician ships could easily travel from Lisbon into the Isles of Scilly and Cornwall. In fact, Lisbon was once named Alis Ubbo, meaning safe harbor in Phoenician. It is thought that the Phoenicians also traded with inland tribes for metals, salt, fish, and Lusitanian horses, which were famous at that time.
Greek mythology states that after Ulysses left Troy and fled to the Atlantic to escape the Greek coalition, he founded Lisbon. However, archeological studies prove that the Phoenicians occupied the area before the Greeks. The Greeks knew the area as Olissipo, which they thought was a name derived from Ulysses.
After the defeat of Hannibal, who was supported by members of the Conii tribe, and during the Punic war, the Romans decided to take the land known as Hispania (which was the entire Iberian Peninsula) from Carthage. After they defeated the Carthaginians in the east, Consul Decimus Junius Brutus led the pacification of the west. He worked out an alliance with Olissipo, whose men joined Brutus' armies and fought the Celtic tribes of the northwest. Olissipo, in turn, was then integrated into the Empire and was called Felicitas Julia. The city was exempted from taxes, its citizens were allowed the same privileges as the Romans, and it was then allowed to self-rule over a new province called Lusitania, whose capital was Emerita Augusta. The Lusitanians, eager to regain control of their city, rebelled and the city was weakened over the next few centuries, causing a wall to be built.
During Autustus' rule, the Romans built a Theatre, the Cassian Baths (which are still present at Rua da Prata), Temples to Jupiter, Diana, Cybele, Tethys, and Idae Phrygiae, and the Emporer. They also built a large necropolis, a Forum, and apartment buildings, all between downtown and what is now Castle Hill. During the 18th century, many of these ruins were first discovered.
Olissipo became famous for its garum, which was a fish sause. Garum was highly sought out by high class citizens and was exported to Rome and other cities. Other exports were wine, salt, and horses. Another economic help for Olissipo was its suppression of technology. This allowed a rise in trade with newer Roman provinces. Olissipo also introduced higher civilization to the tribes living in inner Hispania.
Olissipo followed the mainstream Roman Polytheist cults, but also worshipped Asclepius, the god of Medicina, Cybele, the Moon goddess, and a local lizard and snake divinity. However, Olissipo was also a center for the spread of Christianity, like most cities in the Western Empire. Its first Bishop was Saint Gens, and several martyrs were killed by pagans during the great persecutions.
When the Roman domain ended, Olissipo was one of the first cities to embrace Christianity. Saint Gens' name is still carried by one of Lisbon's seven hills.
Around 711, the Moors overtook Lisbon, and under their rule, the city was very successful. Muslims from North Africa, the Moors built a number of mosques and houses. They also built a new city wall, the Cerca Moura, which still stands today. By this time, Christians, Muslins, and Jews were all living in Lisbon.
Under the Moors, life in Lisbon was very different than it is today. The official language was Arabic, and it was spoken by the majority of the inhabitants. The official religion was Islam, and the majority of Lisbon's people were Muslim by the 10th century.
Moorish inflence is still found in Lisbon. Many places, such as the Alfama, derived their names from Arabic. Lisbon's actual name is pronounced “Lizboa” in Portuguese and is also more directly derived from the city's Arabic name than its Latin one, Olissipo. The azulejo tiles seen throughout Lisbon are originally Muslim in style, and their name, azulejo, is derived from Arabic.
In 1147, led by Afonso I of Portugal, a group of French, English, German, and Portuguese knights conquered Lisbon. History states that people of all religions were killed. At this time, Lisbon was back in Christian hands. One of the most significant events in Lisbon's history was the fall of Islam. Arabic was soon replaced by Portuguese. Over time, most of the Muslims converted to Roman Catholicism and the mosques were turned into churches.
Due to its central location in the new Portugal, Lisbon became Portugal's capital in 1255. Throughout the last part of the Middle Ages, Lisbon became very successful in trading with northern Europe and other Mediterranean cities.
In 1290, Denis I of Portugal founded a university in Lisbon. Today, this school is the University of Coimbra. Today, there are three public universities in Lisbon: University of Lisbon, Technical University of Lisbon, and New University of Lisbon. There is also a public university institute called ISCTE.
In the 16th century, Lisbon became the main European hub of trade with the Far East. It also traded gold with Brazil. During this time, several expeditions left from Lisbon, including Vasco da Gama's departure to India in 1497.
An earthquake hit the city on January 26, 1531, killing thousands and leaving much of the city in ruins. However, another bigger earthquake hit on November 1, 1744. This quake killed between 60,000 and 90,000 people and 85% of the city was destroyed. Voltaire wrote a poem about the earthquake of 1744 and also mentioned it in his 1759 novel, Candide. This earthquake was also mentioned in a poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
The city was rebuilt following the 1755 earthquake; the plans were designed by the Marquês de Pombal. The downtown area, Baixa Pombalina, was named after him. Pombal did not rebuild the city as it was, a medieval town. Instead, he modernized it.
Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Portugal in the early 19th century, causing King John VI of Portugal to flee to Brazil temporarily. Much property was damaged during this invasion, and the liberals began building cafes and theatres. The Avenida da Liberdade, which replaced a former public garden, was opened in 1879.
The republican coup on October 5, 1910 instated the Portuguese Republic and took place in Lisbon. Lisbon remained neutral during World War II, making it one of the only open European Atlantic ports. The end of the Portuguese Corporative Regime came in 1974 during the Carnation Revolution.
In 1994, Lisbon became the European Capital of Culture. Lisbon also hosted the Expo '98, which also commemorated Vasco de Gama's voyage 500 years prior.
From December 28, 2004 to January 1, 2005, Lisbon hosted the 27th Taizé New Year European Meeting. The Lisbon Half Marathon is held in the city every March. This is one of the most attended marathons in the world. Additionally, Lisbon continues to host a number of other international events such as NATO, EU, and other summits. The Dakar Rally began in Lisbon in January of 2006.
Sources:
www.en.wikipedia.org
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