Historic Center of Lisbon

The Lisboa Story Centre, located in the picturesque Praça do Comércio, is an interactive museum that offers visitors an immersive dive into the history of Lisbon. Inaugurated in 2012, this center is a reference point for anyone who wants to fully understand the historical, cultural, and social evolution of the Portuguese capital. Designed with a modern and multimedia approach, the Lisboa Story Centre uses a combination of advanced technologies, scenic reconstructions, and engaging narratives to tell the city’s history in an engaging and accessible way. The visit to the Lisboa Story Centre begins with a journey back in time, taking visitors almost 20,000 years ago to the era of the first human settlements in the region. Thanks to realistic dioramas and digital animations, it is possible to see how the first inhabitants of Lisbon lived, how they interacted with their environment, and how the city began to develop along the banks of the Tagus River. This initial section of the museum provides a fundamental context for understanding the city’s subsequent transformations. One of the most significant episodes in Lisbon’s history, widely covered in the Lisboa Story Centre, is the devastating earthquake of 1755. The museum dedicates an entire section to this catastrophic event, which not only destroyed much of the city but also radically changed its geography and urban development. Using immersive technologies such as panoramic screens and realistic sound effects, the center recreates the experience of the earthquake, allowing visitors to understand the emotional and physical impact it had on the citizens of the time. After the earthquake, the reconstruction of Lisbon was entrusted to the Marquis of Pombal, a central figure in Portuguese history. The Lisboa Story Centre illustrates the Marquis’s role in the city’s reconstruction through scale models and digital reconstructions, showing how his modernist vision transformed Lisbon into a safe and functional city. The new Pombaline urban planning, with its wide straight streets and earthquake-resistant buildings, is examined in detail, offering an analysis of advanced engineering and architectural innovations introduced. Another fascinating aspect of the Lisboa Story Centre is its attention to popular traditions and the daily life of Lisbon’s citizens. Interactive exhibits allow visitors to explore traditional festivals, music, and local cuisine, offering a lively picture of Lisbon’s culture. For example, visitors can listen to fado, the typical music of Lisbon, and learn about its history through historical recordings and videos of contemporary performances. The center also provides an in-depth look at the modernization of Lisbon in the 20th century, examining how political, social, and economic events transformed the city. The Carnation Revolution of 1974, which ended Salazar’s dictatorship, is detailed, highlighting Lisbon’s crucial role in this historical change. Through documentaries, photographs, and testimonies, the museum tells the euphoria and challenges of this period of transition towards democracy.