Terry Foreman on 8 Jul 2012  •  Link

Lisbon (Portuguese: Lisboa) is the capital city and largest city of Portugal

Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world, predating other modern European capitals such as London, Paris and Rome by hundreds of years. Julius Caesar made it a municipium called Felicitas Julia, adding to the name Olissipo. Ruled by a series of Germanic tribes from the fifth century, it was captured by the Moors in the eighth century. In 1147, the Crusaders under Afonso Henriques reconquered the city and since then it has been a major political, economic, and cultural centre of Portugal. Unlike most capital cities, Lisbon's status as the capital of Portugal has never been granted or confirmed officially – by statute or in written form. Its position as the capital has formed through constitutional convention, making its position as de facto capital a part of the Constitution of Portugal.

Most of the Portuguese expeditions of the Age of Discovery left from Lisbon during the 15th to 17th centuries, including Vasco da Gama's expedition to India in 1497. In 1506, 3000 Jews were massacred in Lisbon. The 16th century was Lisbon's golden era: the city was the European hub of commerce between Africa, India, the Far East and, later, Brazil, and acquired great riches by exploiting the trade in spices, slaves, sugar, textiles, and other goods.

Portugal lost its independence to Spain after the succession crisis of 1580; the Portuguese Restoration War, which began with a coup d'état organized by the nobility and bourgeoisie in Lisbon and executed on 1 December 1640, restored Portuguese independence. The revolution of 1640 ended the sixty-year period of dual monarchy in Portugal and Spain under the Spanish Habsburgs, although the period from 1640 to 1668 was marked by periodic skirmishes between Portugal and Spain, as well as short episodes of more serious warfare, until the Treaty of Lisbon was signed in 1688. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisb…

San Diego Sarah on 2 Sep 2024  •  Link

Lisbon lies near the mouth of the Tagus River, which is the longest waterway of the Iberian Peninsula. It rises in the Sierra de Albarracín of eastern Spain, at a point about 90 miles (150 km) from the Mediterranean coast, and flows westward across Spain and Portugal for 626 miles (1,007 km) to empty into the Atlantic Ocean near Lisbon.

The Tagus covers the heart of Portugal and Spain and has been of vital importance to the economic development of both nations.

The upper Tagus cuts into limestone rocks and flows generally southwestward through narrow, sinuous valleys with deep canyons and abundant ravines. Near Trillo (Guadalajara province) it runs more peacefully, and just before the town of Bolarque it is now held back by the dams of Entrepeñas and Buendía, forming an artificial lake known as the Sea of Castile, which covers an area of 51 square miles (132 square km).

Again flowing southwestward, the river irrigates the fertile lands of Aranjuez and the areas around Toledo and Talavera de la Reina until it reaches the province of Cáceres. Here it again flows through narrow, steep-edged trenches formed by quartzites and shales.

At Puente de Alcántara another dam on the river has formed one of the greatest artificial lakes in Europe, with a length of 57 miles (92 km).

Less than 10 miles (16 km) downstream the river becomes the frontier between Spain and Portugal for 27 miles (43 km).

It enters Portugal at Beira and the Sierra de Carbajo, then crosses the fertile region of Abrantes.

After flowing across Portugal for 111 miles (179 km), it forms at Vila Franca de Xira the Tagus (or Lisbon) estuary, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean.

Toledo is the only large Spanish city that lies along the river, which flows past the cities of Santarém and Lisbon in Portugal and supplies the latter with a fine natural harbor.

SEE https://www.britannica.com/place/… for the whole thing.

No wonder Spain wanted to keep it and Portugal!

San Diego Sarah on 20 Sep 2024  •  Link

A picture of the bay of Oeiras, and information about the town of Oeiras at https://portugaltravelguide.com/o…

The Town of Oeiras is an ancient place, 17 kilometres west of Lisbon city center. Loosely marking the point at the mouth of the River Tagus where it merges with the Atlantic Ocean, this charming town (set a little inland from the waterfront) is the extension of an integral part of imperial Lisbon that stretches west along the riverbank from the historic center of Belém.

Oeiras’ well-preserved historic centre features the town’s parish church, the exquisite Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Purificação, which is prominently located on Largo 5 de Outubro. Dedicated to Our Lady of Purification, parts of the main structure date back to the 16th century and visitors are urged to look for the altars covered with magnificent marble and decorated with retables, as well as the church’s impressive 18th-century organ.

Oeiras is largely synonymous with Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo (aka the Marquês de Pombal) who presided over the country’s (mis)fortunes when the great earthquake struck in 1755. Famous for ‘burying the dead and healing the living’ (in his words), he set about rebuilding the heart of the Portuguese capital with an innovative grid system now hailed as a masterpiece of forward-thinking urban planning.

For many visitors, the highlight of Oeiras is the delightful palace built for this great man by the renowned Hungarian architect Carlos Mardel (designer of many of Lisbon’s fountains) midway through the 18th century.
Notable for their statues and azulejos, the palace’s extensive gardens also have many interesting features ...

Oeiras also boasts an important piece of maritime history, the fort and lighthouse of São Julião da Barra (built as a massive gun platform by King João III in the middle of the 16th century), which along with the Bugio Lighthouse (inaugurated in 1657 on an islet 2.5 kilometres offshore) marks the mouth of the River Tagus.

... Portraying the origins of gunpowder and its use throughout the centuries, the town’s excellent gunpowder museum (Museu da Pólvora Negra) is housed in an old building adjacent to a memorial garden (Jardim da Memória) dedicated to all the workers killed by explosions at the factory. ...

San Diego Sarah on 20 Sep 2024  •  Link

Belém Tower was first built to defend Lisbon. Years later, it was transformed into a lighthouse and then a customs center.

The Belém Tower (Torre de Belém) was built between 1514 and 1520 in a Manuelino style by the Portuguese architect and sculptor Francisco de Arruda. It was classified as a World Heritage Site in 1983 by UNESCO.

Constructed on the northern bank of the Tagus River, this tower was used to defend the city. Years later, it was transformed into a lighthouse and customs house.

It's located close to the Jerónimos Monastery, so we recommend visiting them on the same day.

The ground floor of this architectural jewel has 16 windows with cannons.
The visit also includes a tour of the pits and holes where the prisoners were thrown.

The tower has 5 floors which lead to a roof terrace. Each story is connected by a small and narrow spiral staircase, which, on the busiest days is a little overwhelming, having to wait your turn to go up and down.

The floors are, from bottom to top: The Governor’s Hall, The Kings’ Hall, the Audience Hall, the Chapel, and the Roof terrace.

On the western façade of the Tower of Belém, you’ll find a curious gargoyle in the shape of a rhinoceros. Interestingly, the first rhino to set foot in Portugal was in 1513 from India.

Pictures ... https://www.lisbon.net/belem-tower