The Earthquake That Brought Enlightenment | Hakai Magazine

When disaster struck Lisbon in 1755, one controversial ruler saw a path to modernization.

Share Article body copy Not long after a Magnitude 8.5 earthquake felled the city of Lisbon in 1755, a distinguished man mounted a stallion and galloped through the ruins to reach the king of Portugal. The monarch, Dom José I, had narrowly escaped death by staying at his country palace outside the city. As someone who prized hunting and philandering far more than governing, the king was unsure how to restore his ruined kingdom. In a moment forever stamped into Portugal’s history books, the man on horseback, Minister of State Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, rode up. Sensing uncertainty in th

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