Resurrecting Lisbon

摘要

The first tremor struck Lisbon at 9.45 am on 1 November 1755 - All Saint's Day. From the hills above, it must have looked as if a rug had been pulled from under the city. Buildings toppled into the narrow streets. Panicked residents rushed for the refuge of the waterfront only to see the river Tagus recede towards the sea, feel the ground beneath them give way and the waters return in a series of great waves that swept a kilometre inland. Candles lit in homes and churches to mark the holy day soon set what remained of the city ablaze. Tens of thousands died. The Lisbon that had launched the age of discovery was reduced to smouldering rubble. But one man had a vision for its reconstruction.