December 14, 2004
Earthquake!
A 5.1 earthquake was felt yesterday in Lisboa, fortunately not by me.
The inhabitants of Lisbon are constantly haunted by the memory of the great earthquake of 1755 and we are always expecting some sort of catastrophe. Oddly enough, we don't move away. It's the portuguese way of life: you have to accept your fate :-)
"Although not the strongest or most deadly earthquake in human history, the 1755 Lisbon earthquake's impact, not only on Portugal but on all of Europe, was profound and lasting. Depictions of the earthquake in art and literature can be found in several European countries, and these were produced and reproduced for centuries following the event, which came to be known as 'The Great Lisbon Earthquake'. The earthquake began at 9:30 on November 1st, 1755, and was centered in the Atlantic Ocean, about 200 km WSW of Cape St. Vincent. The total duration of shaking lasted ten minutes and was comprised of three distinct jolts. Effects from the earthquake were far reaching. The worst damage occurred in the south-west of Portugal. Lisbon, the Portuguese capital, was the largest and the most important of the cities damaged. Moderate damage was done in Algiers and in southwest Spain. Shaking was also felt in France, Switzerland, and Northern Italy. A devastating fire following the earthquake destroyed a large part of Lisbon, and a very strong tsunami caused heavy destruction along the coasts of Portugal, southwest Spain, and western Morocco." taken from here.
Never understood how come the tsunami didn't put out the fire, though. :-)
This great catstrophe triggered Kant to write "On the Causes of the Terrestrial Convulsions" and Voltaire to write "Poème sur le désastre de Lisbonne" - a critique of religion and the philosophical optimism of people like Leibniz. Voltaire actually included a chapter in "Candide" describing the earthquake.
Images from the Collection of Historical Images of Earthquakes.
Posted by claudia