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LISBON TOURS - QUICK HISTORY GUIDE

For those of you planning to visit Portugal and looking for itineraries rich in history and beautiful scenery, we propose this short guide to the history of Portugal for travelers, so that you can map out the monuments you are going to visit on the timeline of history. As you plan your trip, you will repeatedly read and hear about landmark events, such as the Great Earthquake of 1755,... which you will come across on many of your visits and trips.

The photos below illustrate or document some of the historical events covered by the items in this guide. If you want to deepen your knowledge of these themes from Portugal's history, use the keywords provided in Portuguese and use Google's translator to read the results in your language. If you take a guided tour with us, reading the guide beforehand will enable you to get much more out of your trip..



1 - The origin of the nation comes from the movement of the Christian Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula to the moors in the 12th century, following the Moorish invasions that began in 711. The conquest of all the territory that is now Portugal ended in 1249, when King Afonso III took the remaining Moorish fortresses in the Algarve

Lisbon St.George Castle
Lisbon St.George Castle
Medieval Abbey of Flor da Rosa
Medieval Abbey of Flor da Rosa
Templar castle of Tomar
Templar castle of Tomar

2 - The wars for Portugal's independence from Spain in the late 14th century also kown as the Crisis of 1383-1385. In 1383, a revolution broke out to prevent the domination of Portugal by the King of Castile, which led the begin of a new dynasty with the acclamation of John I, King of Portugal. In the invasions that followed, the Portuguese armies, although outnumbered, were victorious in all the major battles. From them emerged two notable figures for the future of Portugal, King João I and the Constable Nuno Alvares Pereira.

Monastery of Batalha (Aljubarrota)
Monastery of Batalha (Aljubarrota)
Lisbon - Carmo Church
Lisbon - Carmo Church
Lisbon - Carmo Church
Lisbon - Carmo Church

3 - From the first incursions into North Africa in the 15th century to the Epic of Maritime Discoveries in the 16th century. How the legacy of the Knights Templar boosted Portugal's overseas expansion and as an unprepared young king, obsessed with military campaigns from times gone by, threw everything away, risking his life and throwing Portugal into a serious crisis that ended the dynasty.

Setúbal - Convent of Jesus
Setúbal - Convent of Jesus
Lisbon - Belém Tower
Lisbon - Belém Tower
Lisbon - Jerónimos Monastery
Lisbon - Jerónimos Monastery

4 - The 60-year period called the Iberian Union from 1580 to 1640 in which Portugal was ruled by the King of Spain. After a revolution in 1640 a new Portuguese king John IV was acclaimed. The Spanish crown reacted and a war ensued between the two countries that lasted 28 years. It was called the War of the Restoration of Independence. Following successive victories over the Spanish incursions, the war ended with the Treaty of Lisbon of 1668, in which Spain finally recognized Portugal's independence.

Lisbon - Palace of Independence
Lisbon - Palace of Independence
Revolution of 1640 - azulejo scene
Revolution of 1640 - azulejo scene
Lisbon - Restauradores Square
Lisbon, Square of Restauradores

5 - The period of pomp and opulence of King John V, who benefited from the discovery of large deposits of gold and precious stones in the then colony of Brazil during the first half of the 18th century;

Mafra Palace, Church and Convent
Mafra Palace, Church and Convent
Queluz Palace
Mafra Palace Infirmary
Coimbra University and library
Coimbra University and library

6 - The great earthquake of Lisbon in 1755 and the consequent reconstruction of Lisbon by the reformist dictatorship of the Marquis of Pombal;

Lisbon - Commerce Square
Lisbon - Commerce Square
Palace of Marquis of Pombal
Palace of Marquis of Pombal
Lisbon - Pombaline architecture
Lisbon - Pombaline architecture

7 - The dramatic 19th century, in which Portugal was left without a king since 1807, because the royal family and the court fled to Brazil when the Napoleonic Invasions began, causing great suffering and misery throughout the country. And as if this were not enough, two decades later a bloody and fratricidal civil war broke out between two princes and two radically different visions of power, the Liberal and the Absolutist. If in the first half of the century the monarchy lost its absolutist character, in the second half the constant disputes, often armed, between the radical and moderate parties wore down the monarchy, which became increasingly unpopular. The way was open for the establishment of the republic in 1910 with the prior assassination of the King and his heir son two years earlier;

Palace of Queluz
Palace of Queluz - last royal residence
Queluz Palace
Peninsular War in Portugal
Royal family's departure
Royal family's departure

8 - In the hopeful, newly created republic, turmoil and crises followed each other in quick succession and the dream of the Portuguese to live in freedom and democracy was postponed in 1926 by the establishment of a long dictatorship, which only ended on April 25, 1974;

Discoveries Landmark
Discoveries Landmark
Alameda Afonso Henriques
Alameda Afonso Henriques
Imp´´ Belém - Empire Square
Belém - Empire Square

9 - With the Carnation Revolution of April 1974 Freedom arose and the way was open for democracy in Portugal and for the emancipation and independence of the peoples of the former Portuguese colonies;

Soldiers - 25th of April
Soldiers - 25th of April
The 1st of May in freedom
The 1st of May in freedom
Supporting the Revolution
Supporting the Revolution

10 - Since the 1st of January 1986 Portugal integrated the community of countries that today is the European Union.

European Union Flag
European Union Flag
Modern Lisbon
Modern Lisbon
Vasco da Gama Bridge
Vasco da Gama B.