"Lisbon" Portugal Favorite Tip by traveldave

Favorite thing: Lisbon was founded in about 1200 B.C. by the Phoenicians, who called the city "Serene Harbor." It quickly became a port of call for Mediterranean ships sailing to northern Europe. Later during its history, the city was conquered by the Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, and Moors. Moorish rule lasted for over 400 years, until King Alfonso Henriques captured the city in 1147. Lisbon was chosen over Coimbra by King Alfonso III as the capital of the new Portuguese nation in 1255.

Lisbon flourished during Portugal's Age of Discoveries. Vasco da Gama discovered a route to India between 1497 and 1499, and Pedro Álvares Cabral discovered Brazil in 1500. The new trade routes resulting from these discoveries caused the decline of Venice and Genoa. Merchants flocked to Lisbon to trade in gold, silver, spices, ivory, silks, precious stones, and rare woods. Lisbon became one of the richest and most powerful cities in the world. The Portuguese poet Luís de Camões described Lisbon as the "princess of the world...before whom even the ocean bows."

In 1755, an earthquake destroyed much of the city. The Portuguese government began rebuilding Lisbon with straight, wide avenues; great monuments; and oppulent buildings.

Nowadays, Lisbon is the largest city in Portugal, with about 3,950,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area. Despite its large size, the city has retained its ancient core, characterized by winding, narrow streets; magnificent views along wide boulevards; and old, historic buildings with tiled roofs and pastel ochres, pinks, blues, and greens.