Marble Quay Lisbon

Unfortunately a large number of people took shelter on a newly built marble quay believing that they were beyond the reach of fallen ruins but then suddenly the quay sank.

Marble quay lisbon.

Then a violent shock threw down the greater part of the city. A marble quay at the riverside disappeared into the river bottom laden with people. Cais das colunas is located at praça do comércio in the historical center of lisbon. The great lisbon earthquake of november 1 1755 in lisbon portugal.

Food market marble quay. This was the moment when a new marble quay cays de prada crowded with survivors was engulfed in something like a whirlpool and disappeared below the surface of the river together with every boat near it. Reviewed 10 july 2015. Earthquake effects widely felt the lisbon earthquake caused considerable damage not only in portugal but in spain particularly in madrid and seville.

Soon after the earthquake several fires broke out mostly started by cooking fires and candles. Lisbon s whole quay and the marble built cais de pedra along the tagus disappeared into the river burying with it hundreds of people who had sought refuge. A fire followed which burned for six days. Actually not a pier but rather a small scale rectangular site laid out with marble steps and ornated with two posts or pillars.

Vessels on the river were swept away overturned or crushed together. No trace of quay boats or victims was ever found. The sea first retired and laid the bar dry it then rolled in rising fifty feet above its ordinary level the most extraordinary circumstance which occurred at lisbon during the catastrophe was the subsidence of the new quay built entirely of marble at an immense expense. Alexander von humboldt stated that the total area shaken was four times that of europe.

Just wandering around admiring the boats is enough but on fridays there is a food market with take away food from fish and chips to peruvian with french and portuguese along the way. It used to give access to ferry boats and other vessels connecting praça do comércio to the tagus south bank. St katharine docks is a great place to be on a good weather day. Then rolled in again rising more than 50 feet.

With all honesty if you are not aware of this specific location or haven t read your lisbon guide book the chances are you may overlook it. The sound of thunder was heard underground in lisbon. It was a church day and great loss of life occurred in the churches. Lisbon s whole quay and the marble built cais de pedra along the tagus disappeared into the river burying with it hundreds of people who had sought refuge.