Lisbon will dress in purple and sirens will be heard to remember the 1755 earthquake. It was 270 years ago

Lisbon will once again dress in purple this Saturday, November 1st, to mark the 270th anniversary of the 1755 Earthquake.

In a set of initiatives promoted by the “Remember 1755” movement in partnership with Quake, the museum dedicated to the earthquake, Lisbon residents and everyone who passes through the city are invited to hang something purple in their window to mark the earthquake, a gesture that aims to remember and raise awareness about the prevention of this type of natural phenomenon. It is also encouraged to share photos on social media with the hashtag #recordar1755.

In purple, several monuments will also be lit up on Friday night. not only in Greater Lisbon – such as the Statue of D. José, the Castle of São Jorge, Campo Pequeno, the Coach Museum and the Sanctuary of Christ the King in Almada – but also in cities such as Setúbal (City Hall building and the Fort of São Filipe), Leiria (castle), Lagos (Igreja de Santo António) and Ponta Delgada (Portas da Cidade).

On Saturday morning, November 1, at 9:40 am, the exact time the earthquake began, the Portuguese Firefighters League will sound the barracks’ sirens, which will join the Transtejo/Soflusa ships on the Tagus River.

“These actions aim to evoke the victims and destruction caused by the earthquake and encourage reflection on the importance of prevention and preparation for future earthquakes”, can be read in a note sent to newsrooms.

Quake has also prepared a special program for this Saturday, with the presence of actors who will bring historical characters to life, making the experience of those visiting the museum, located in Belém, next to the National Coach Museum, more immersive.

At 5 pm, the museum’s cafeteria will host the launch of the book “Recordar 1755”, by André Canhoto Costa, who will be present for an autograph session.

“The 1755 Earthquake was more than a catastrophe, which should be remembered and teach us to be better prepared. The Remember 1755 Movement was born to reverse this logic and return meaning to a date that the country treated as a footnote”, highlights Ricardo Clemente, co-founder of Quake, cited in the statement.

Simulated earthquake with magnitude similar to that of 1775

This Friday, the Portuguese Tsunami Warning Center, installed at the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), tested its capacity with a simulacrum of an 8.5 magnitude earthquake felt off Cape São Vicente, in Sagres, in a scenario similar to that of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake.

The head of IPMA’s Geophysics division, Fernando Carrilho, explained to journalists how a real situation would be managed: After the earthquake is detected, technicians quickly calculate its magnitude and potential to generate a tsunami, identify coastal areas at risk and estimate the arrival time of the waves. During the exercise, the first wave took around 50 minutes to reach Sagres and Porto Santo, requiring a second warning as the tsunami approaches the coast.

The Tsunami Warning Center, created in 2017 and recognized by UNESCO in 2019, operates around the clock, with teams permanently monitoring seismic activity and sea behavior. The Portuguese system is part of the international alert network for the Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean, issuing warnings not only for Portugal, but also for countries such as Spain, Morocco, France and Italy.

According to Telmo de Carvalho, from the IPMA Board of Directors, Although earthquakes cannot be predicted, quick warning is crucial to saving lives. The national network of seismic stations and tide gauges makes it possible to detect anomalies and share information in real time, ensuring constant vigilance against the risk of new tsunamis.

* With Lusa