Description
Main port of Portugal and center of its global maritime empire, connecting Europe with Africa, Asia (Estado da Índia), and America (Brazil) for centuries.
Year of Foundation or Oldest Source
Human occupation since the Neolithic. Evidence of Phoenician presence in the 8th century BC. Important Roman city (Felicitas Julia Olisipo). Became the capital of Portugal in 1255 and the center of maritime expansion from the 15th century.
Country (State or Region)
Portugal
Location
Lisbon, on the north bank of the Tagus River estuary.
Structuring
Excellent natural harbor in the wide Tagus estuary, offering shelter. Progressive development of quays and landfills along the riverbank, replacing natural coves and beaches. After the 1755 earthquake, the Baixa Pombalina was rebuilt with modern urban planning and anti-seismic structures, including foundations on wooden piles in alluvial soil. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, significant modernization began with the construction of new docks (e.g., Alcântara, Santos), modern warehouses (with electricity and piped water), railway lines, and the port administration building at Cais do Sodré. Recent archaeological excavations on Rua Cais de Santarém have revealed Iron Age port structures (Phoenician), including retaining walls and possible cofferdams. Existence of naval shipyards and dry docks (e.g., Rocha).
Notes
Nerve center of the Portuguese Empire, controlling trade with possessions in Asia, Africa, and Brazil. Main European port for Eastern spices in the 16th century. Received large quantities of gold and diamonds from Brazil in the 18th century. Departure and arrival point for the Carreira da Índia and the Brazil fleets. The 1755 earthquake destroyed much of the city, leading to an innovative reconstruction led by the Marquês de Pombal. Modernization in the late 19th century was driven by the need to adapt the port to steam navigation and increased traffic. The discovery of Phoenician structures confirms the antiquity of occupation and port activity in the area.
Sources
ARQUIVO MUNICIPAL DE LISBOA. Guia de Fundos. Lisboa, 2014.; CORE.AC.UK. [Documento sobre Lisboa].; FONTES, Mariana A. T. A cidade e o porto. Tese (Doutorado) - Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 2010.; O'FLANAGAN, Patrick. Port cities of Atlantic Iberia, c. 1500-1900. London: Routledge, 2008.; PORTO DE LISBOA. História. [s.d.].; PORTO DE LISBOA. Memória Institucional. [s.d.].; RESEARCHGATE. **.; RIBEIRO, C.; et al. The earliest evidence of Phoenician presence in Lisbon: the Sommer Warehouses interventions (Rua Cais de Santarém, Lisbon, Portugal). 1 Trabajos de Prehistoria, v. 81, n. 1, p. 965, 2024.; SCIELO Brazil. Almanack, n. 21, 2019.; YesÕES, A.; LOPES, M.; BENTO, R.; GAGO, A. Characterization of Lisbon Old Buildings. In: WORLD CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING, 15., 2012, Lisboa. Proceedings...; UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA. Memórias da Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, Classe de Letras, Tomo XL, Vol. II. Coimbra, 2021.; WIKIPEDIA. History of Lisbon. [s.d.].
