Lisbon impressions

I have been in Lisbon for 22 days now. I think I now have a fairly clear picture of the city. I can try to summarize what is happening here. Also, what one perceives in a place so widely loved. In fact, I do not know anyone who speaks ill of Lisbon. To begin with, it is the capital of a state. It is not a massive metropolis like Paris, London, Berlin, or Madrid. Rather, it is a notable city. Its urban area gathers around three million inhabitants around the Tagus estuary. However, it does not become a megalopolis. It fulfills the specialized functions of a state capital. At the same time, it retains a manageable scale. Furthermore, it was the capital of an empire until 1975. That realm extended across large areas of Africa and several Asian enclaves. Brazil had gained independence much earlier. Even so, Lisbon served as an overseas hub for much of its history. It is impossible to understand it without that continuous flow of ships bound for or arriving from all corners of the globe. From this stems its cosmopolitan character. It is a unique case. Geographically, the city sits on the European finisterre, facing the Atlantic from the continental southwest. At the same time, it preserves a distinct Eastern component. This does not derive solely from its former possessions. It also responds to that idea of the exotic and fascinating in contrast to European standards. It is an elusive concept, yet perceptible in its streets. Lisbon offers the feeling of being in Europe and, simultaneously, outside of it. Few places combine such a strong local identity with such a clear global projection. That blend can be felt today in the diversity of its residents. The city is very likely more plural now than ever before. Over the years, its social fabric has become even more cosmopolitan. On the other hand, the city traces its origins to Roman times. The artifacts and mosaics at the Museu de Lisboa bear witness to this. It boasts more than two millennia of continuous settlement. Later, it passed into Muslim hands and was fortified. In the 12th century, Afonso Henriques captured the city from the mouros. Following the conquest, the Islamic population was confined to the Mouraria, a neighborhood that still survives. Christian rule marked the beginning of the city’s Western chapter. Churches then proliferated. Religion became a central pillar in the collective imagination. By the late 15th century, Portugal accelerated its maritime push. The capture of Ceuta in 1415 had launched its overseas expansion. Later, the voyages of Bartolomeu Dias paved the way to the East. They culminated in Vasco da Gama’s arrival in India. On this period, Erika Fatland’s book, The Navigators, comes highly recommended. Reading it clearly illustrates how the maritime feat shaped the Portuguese identity. Portugal cannot be understood without that oceanic dimension. At the beginning of the expansion, the kingdom barely had a population of one million. Moreover, it lived under the lingering fear of neighboring Spain. That overseas empire gave meaning to the country and turned it into an economic power. In the early days of the Age of Discovery, the oceanic contest belonged almost exclusively to Spain and Portugal. To settle their disputes, they sought papal arbitration. That mediation established a dividing meridian in the Treaty of Tordesillas. This agreement explains the Portuguese presence in Brazil, Angola, and Mozambique. Portugal ended up with a more dispersed geographical mosaic compared to the continuous landmass of Spanish America. Lisbon reflects that entire trajectory. Since the Middle Ages, it stood out as an ideal port site. The Tagus estuary provided natural shelter and calm 1 waters for ships to anchor safely. Merchants, exporters, and early manufacturing workshops soon settled along its banks. The Crown’s major import and export trade was born around the river. It is striking how a country on the European periphery came to wield such global influence. It calls to mind the Dutch case, although the United Provinces focused more narrowly on the spice trade. In both instances, small coastal territories built vast commercial networks across the planet.