Discount Hotels Lisbon
Historical interest: Lisbon
    
Lisbon is pre-Roman in its origins, but it was under the might of the Caesars
that it became a busy port and trading city. After the fall of the Roman Empire
and capture by invading barbarian Visigoths, Lisbon again fell to invaders in
714 - this time the Moors under the banner of Islam. The Arabs were finally
expelled during the Reconquista in 1147 by King Afonso Henriques. It was under
his namesake Afonso III that Lisbon was made the capital in 1256.
The most fearful and dramatic event in Lisbon's long and eventful history was
the Great Earthquake on November 1, 1755. The destruction was best summed up
by Voltaire: "The sea boiled up in the harbour and smashed the vessels
lying at anchor. Whirlwinds of flame and ashes covered the streets and squares,
houses collapsed, roofs were thrown onto foundations and the foundations crumbled."
In the six days of Armageddon which followed, some 60,000 people perished in
the earthquake, the inferno which followed it and the tidal waves which surged
and frothed up the River Tagus.
Following the destruction, the prime minister, the Marques de Pombal, was given
carte blanche power by the king to rebuild the city and bury the dead. Pombal
ordered the building of a city with wide unencumbered boulevards, large squares
and ornate fountains. His legacy still remains to this day, and many people
consider Lisbon one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
In the modern era, Lisbon was famous during WWII for accommodating spies and
agents of the rival powers; Portugal remained officially neutral but also housed
many displaced leaders and refugees. More recently still, it housed the world
Expo 1998 for which the city was spruced up. The rundown dock areas were renovated
and today feature expensive restaurants and bars.
Selection of hotels in this region:
Sana Reno Hotel | | Sana Lisbon Hotel | | Hotel Botanico | | Hotel Mundial | | Sana Classic Rex Hotel | | Sana Classic Capitol Hotel | | Vila Gale Opera | | Sheraton Lisboa Hotel & Towers | | Radisson SAS Hotel Lisboa | | Sofitel Lisboa | | Dom Pedro Lisboa | | Metropolitan Lisboa | | Hotel Marques De Pombal | | Quality Hotel Lisboa | | Tivoli Lisboa | | Tivoli Jardim | | Berna Hotel | |
Click below for a
full list of hotels and online booking
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