Welcome to The Urban Herald's inaugural episode of "When the World Broke". Join us as we delve into Europe's first modern disaster: the catastrophic Lisbon earthquake of 1755. On 1st November 1755, at 9:40 AM, a magnitude 8.5 to 9.0 earthquake struck Lisbon, followed by a devastating 5-metre tsunami and a six-day firestorm, profoundly altering how humanity understood natural disasters and urban life.

Discover the revolutionary response led by the Marquis of Pombal, whose famous directive, "What now? We bury the dead and heal the living," laid the blueprint for modern emergency management, including systematic data collection and an inquérito that anticipated post-earthquake reconnaissance by centuries. We explore the groundbreaking Pombaline cage ( gaiola pombalina ) – the world's first systematically implemented earthquake-resistant construction method – and how its principles of flexible design foreshadowed modern seismic engineering, influencing cities from Tokyo to San Francisco.

This episode also unpacks the intellectual earthquake that shook the Enlightenment. We examine Voltaire's "Poème sur le désastre de Lisbonne" and "Candide," which challenged optimistic philosophy and confronted meaningless suffering. We also delve into Immanuel Kant's pivotal writings, which marked the beginnings of scientific geography and seismology by advocating for natural over supernatural explanations.

From urban planning innovation and economic transformation to the secularisation of disaster, the 1755 Lisbon earthquake established templates for scientific investigation, evidence-based policy, and comprehensive disaster response that continue to influence our contemporary world. This profound event demonstrates that disaster can create opportunities for societies to reimagine and rebuild according to new principles, truly marking the day modernity began under rubble.

As part of The Urban Herald's "When the World Broke" series, we explore how moments of catastrophic disruption become catalysts for transformation, innovation, and renewal. Join us next Monday for our next episode, where we'll explore the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora, the volcano that extinguished the summer in Indonesia.