Lisbon

This interesting and very endearing city was made the official capital of the Kingdom of Portugal in 1256 although it had been in the Christian hands since 1147 when Afonso Henriques liberated the town from the Moors. Even today the foundations of Roman buildings are being discovered pointing to its early importance. From physical evidence it is certain that the location has been inhabited from the Bronze Age, Tartessus, Celts, Phoenicians, Romans, Visigoths and Moors.

Like most other capitals in Europe, Lisbon has its own individual character influenced and moulded by its own history and its inhabitants. (For the purpose of this brief description historical factors have mainly been left to the many good available guidebooks). Lisbon has in its existence recorded several serious earthquakes, one in 1505 and a second in 1512. However, due to the very destructive earthquake in 1755 the centre of this city was virtually completely destroyed. The King gave the then powerful Marquis de Pombal the opportunity to create his radical and impressive layout of streets. The idea of wide avenues and streets was a complete change to the narrow and haphazard ones that abounded in all major cities of that time. Although this conception today may seem normal and is found in most of the capitals of Europe, the concept was very impressive for that time. The number of inhabitants of Lisbon is over 664.000.