"claudiapires's new Lisbon Page" a Lisbon Travel Page by claudiapires

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Over 400 years ago, Lisbon was the center of the world's richest and farthestreaching empire. Though it was plagued by social and political problems in the last century, Lisbon has recently stepped back inte the international spotlight. Today, it stands as one of Europe's grandest cities. Like Portugal itself, Lisbon has managed to preserve its traditions, continually renovating its history monuments ans meticulously its black and white mosaic sidewlaks, pastel facades, and cobbled, medieval alleys.

Many ancient civilizations claim to have settled Lisbon, with one legend even crediting Odysseus as its founder. Officialy, Lisbon is thought to have been inhabited over 300 years ago by Phoenicians, Greeks, and Carthaginians in turn, until the Romans arrived in 205 BC. Under Julius Caeser's reign, Lisbon became the most important city in Lusitania; in 1255, it was made the capital of the kingdom of Portugal. City ans empire reached their apex at the end of the 15th century when Portuguese navigators pioneered explorations of Asia, Africa, and South America.

A huge earthquake on November 1, 1755, touched off the nation's fall from glory - close to one-fifth of the population died in the catastrophe, and two-thirds of Lisbon was reduced to a pile of smoldering rubble. Under the authoritarian leadersquares, palaces, and churches were built along the Cartesian guidelines of style ans architecture in the heyday of the Enlightment. Another wave of construction in the late 19th century extended to the city to the north ans west.

Lisbon has seen more than its share of changes over the course of the 20th century. During the World War II, Lisbon's neutrality ans Atlantic connections made the city a rendezvous for spies on both sides. In 1974, when Mozambique and Angola won independence, hundreds of thousands of refugees converged upon the Portuguese capital. Today, Portuguese of African, Asian and European orign mix freely on the streets. In 1998, the World Expo descended upon Lisbon, providing the impetus for massive construction projects and a citywide face-lift while helping to renew Lisbon's seat at the forefront of European culture. Since then, the revival has continued, as more tourist hotspots ans sites of cultural interest emerge.