The earthquake that shook the cities of Lisbon and Carmo

No Lisbon will ever forget November 1, 1755 – the day that shook, collapsed, and destroyed the greatest and richest city in the Portuguese Empire, reduced to mere rocks and dust.

It’s been almost a month in Lisbon and I’ve been wandering the streets, enjoying beautiful sunsets, wine and history. They did not fail to surprise me. I was a regular visitor to the studio of Helder Carreta, architect-turned-historian and plastic artist, in Atalaia – a small street near Jardim de São Pedro de Alcantra (Park of Saint Peter in Alacantra). From there, we can see the streets of old Rossio and get a great view of the city. I always walk into the studio to wander the streets of Rossio, Baixa Chiado, and Bairro Alto. The crowd, pastry shops, boutiques, and the aroma of brewing coffee from the historic Café Brasileira amazes me every time.

Although I pass by these places two or three times a week, it never occurred to me that the famous Carmo Monastery was there. The monument became a museum in 1864. One day, I took the ticket and entered through the remains of the large facade into the church hall. To know the story of Carmo Monastery, one has to walk from the 14th to the 19th century.

Carmo Monastery was a monastery founded in 1389 by Constable D. Nuno Alvarez Pereira, military commander of King John I, was one of the most beautiful Gothic churches in Lisbon. It was a small Carmelite monastery before it was rebuilt as a monastery. In 1407, the liturgical area of ​​the church was completed. By 1423, the residential rooms had been completed, making it a fully functional monastery. Carmelite monks from Mora (a place in southern Portugal) came to stay and pray here, among them Nuno Alvares Pereira who donated his fortune to the monastery and became a chaplain. Later he was called Father Nuno de Santa Maria.

Earth, Water and Fire

On a cold morning on November 1, 1755, Lisbon was preparing to celebrate All Saints’ Day. Lisbon was a religious city, and most families were already preparing or in churches. A large number of people gathered at Karmo Monastery. Candles lit all the houses and decorated the whole city. Around 9:40 AM, the tremors began, and in less than 10 minutes, the entire city shook. Churches, buildings, monasteries, libraries, homes, and even forts shook and shattered in the 8.6 earthquake. Being so close to the port where the earthquake started, it was severely affected. In the middle of the block, the roof fell, glasses shattered and the foundations of the legendary monument completely shattered in less than 10 minutes. It was an absolute chaos, says Helder.

A crowd ran to Terreiro do Paço (Palace Courtyard), which was one of the open spaces nearby. The arena faced the Tagus River, and 30 minutes after the earthquake, a tsunami came. “The tsunami was about 10 meters high and almost wiped out the coasts and islands of Portugal, Spain and Morocco. The earthquake was so strong that people in distant Barbados and Finland felt tremors,” says Tiago Molarinho, architect and researcher at Helder Studio.

That same night, when the survivors gained control of their lives, they were again tested in their nature with a huge firestorm in the city, because of the candles and lamps lit on All Saint’s Day. The city is surrounded by three hills and the fire spread in minutes. It lasted for about six days. A document describing the incident as “a fire of hell broke out in the city” and the temperature was said to have exceeded 1,000 degrees Celsius. The fire destroyed Carmo Abbey and its library, which was one of the best in Europe.

About 90,000 people died. During the firestorm, escaped convicts looted and killed people for money and valuables. They were later publicly executed.

Approximately 85 percent of the city was destroyed and the city was rebuilt and put in order by Sebastião José de Carvalho y Melo, Marquis de Pombal I, a Portuguese diplomat and statesman who served as prime minister to King Jose I, the then King. Portugal. He designed the central district of Lisbon to be earthquake resistant. Thus his architectural design was called the Bombalin style of the eighteenth century. The buildings and plazas in Pombaline Downtown in Lisbon were designed with the world’s first anti-seismic design technology and now remain a great tourist attraction,” says Helder.

Reconstruction of the monastery began in 1756 and many minor repairs were made, but even today, since 1834, the monument remains unfinished. As we entered the church, the hall was wide open and filled with broken remains and traces of the church on both sides for viewing. The roof is wide open but we can still see the pillars and the roof. The remains of the altar are in front and behind the treasury. I wandered and visualized the disaster of 1755. The museum also contains many other relics that were donated from other parts of the world. It seemed strange because it had nothing to do with the church or its history. As we pass to the left of the treasury, there is an audiovisual room depicting the story of the earthquake and the monastery. Unfortunately, today the monument only looks “similar” to its original architecture, thanks to reconstruction and repairs. The archetype of the monastery can be seen inside the museum.

When I walked out, my mind was filled with questions and images of chaos and destruction. I looked back again, and I could hear screams and flames engulfing the building.

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