History UsefulNotes / Lisbon

* In ''VideoGame/CossacksEuropeanWars'', the shipyard of the Portuguese nation has the shape of the Belém Tower (and it's the only shipyard in the game that can fire with cannons).

'''Lisbon''', aka ''A Cidade das Sete Colinas'' (The City of Seven Hills) or ''Rainha do Mar'' (Queen of the Sea), is the capital of UsefulNotes/{{Portugal}} and its largest city, where (almost) all economic, political and social life converges.

It is one of the oldest cities in the world, founded c. 1200 BC during the Iberian Iron Age, and the oldest city in Western Europe putting it ahead of such cities as London, Paris and Rome by hundreds of years. It is reputed to have been founded by Ulisses[=/=]Odisseus of ''Literature/TheOdyssey'' fame.

!!'''The ''Bairros'' (Neighbourhoods/Quarters) and other subdivisions'''

!!'''Lisbon in popular culture'''
* ComicBook/AsIncriveisAventurasDeDogMendoncaEPizzaboy

* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRogue'' is largely set in North America during the Seven Years War, but a memorable and pivotal interlude takes place there amidst the 1755 earthquake that devastated the city (caused by a piece of Eden in the game, no less).

** Lisbon's electric trams, the ''elétricos''. The system is one of the few historic tram systems worldwide that survived the second half of the 20th century and still runs regularly scheduled services that are actually an integral part of the city's mainline transit network, rather than being just a touristic system (though a few touristic services do run on the tracks). It is also probably completely unique worldwide in using historic wooden tram vehicles in regular revenue service, largely because the old trams are the only things light and small enough to navigate Lisbon's steep hills and narrow, windy streets.[[note]]Like, UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}} and UsefulNotes/{{Toronto}} never completely got rid of their trolleys/streetcars/trams, but both of them have updated the rolling stock at least twice since 1920. Of significance, Philadelphia actually does have hilly parts to rival Lisbon, but the trolleys don't go there, not anymore.[[/note]] A few modern articulated trams do operate on the system, but only on Line 15 (to the western coastal part of the city, running through Alcántara and Belém to Algés) and only on part of the route (the modern trams have to stop at Cais do Sodré station, as the eastern part of Line 15 runs through the kind of narrow, steep streets the bigger modern trams can't handle; the full Line 15 is run only by historic trams and by buses). Another interesting fact about the elétricos is their gauge: because of the aforementioned narrow, windy, hilly streets, the trams have a very narrow 900 mm gauge, which is one of the narrowest in the world in frequent revenue service.

** Lisbon's electric trams, the ''elétricos''. The system is one of the few historic tram systems worldwide that survived the second half of the 20th century and still runs regularly scheduled services that are actually an integral part of the city's mainline transit network, rather than being just a touristic system (though a few touristic services do run on the tracks). It is also probably completely unique worldwide in using historic wooden rolling stock in regular revenue service, largely because the old trams are the only things light and small enough to navigate Lisbon's steep hills and narrow, windy streets. A few modern articulated trams do operate on the system, but only on Line 15 (to the western coastal part of the city, running through Alcántara and Belém to Algés) and only on part of the route (the modern trams have to stop at Cais do Sodré station, as the eastern part of Line 15 runs through the kind of narrow, steep streets the bigger modern trams can't handle; the full Line 15 is run only by historic trams and by buses). Another interesting fact about the elétricos is their gauge: because of the aforementioned narrow, windy, hilly streets, the trams have a very narrow 900 mm gauge, which is one of the narrowest in the world in frequent revenue service.

** Lisbon's electric trams, the ''elétricos'' (one of few in the world to still be used for regular services, and not just special touristic services, although there are some services just for tourists)

* The ''Elevador de Sta. Justa'' (Sta. Justa Elevator), said to have been designed by Gustave Eiffel, whose more famous piece of work was Paris's Eiffel Tower, although in RealLife it was designed by the French-Portuguese engineer Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard and by French architect Louis Reynaud.[[note]]Eiffel had an annoying habit of claiming credit for any large all-iron construction in Europe he could be remotely associated with. Two bridges in northern Portugal connecting Porto, Portugal's second city, with its twin city Vila Nova de Gaia, designed by the German engineer Théophile Seyrig, have also. suffered the same fate. However, Mesnier, Reynaud, and Seyrig all worked with or for Eiffel in some way (being employees of or business partners with his firm), so they had to yield to the great man (presumably while biting their tongues).[[/note]]

* The ''Elevador de Sta. Justa'' (Sta. Justa Elevator), said to have been designed by Gustave Eiffel, whose more famous piece of work was Paris's Eiffel Tower, although in RealLife it was designed by the French engineer Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard and by French architect Louis Reynaud

* '''Chiado''': Lisbon's traditional shopping area, where you can especially find books, garments, pottery and coffeeshops, especially ''A Brasileira'', famous for having FernandoPessoa as a regular patron. It was victim of a fire in 1988, which greatly shocked Portugal, but it was renovated on a project that lasted more than ten years by celebrated architect Álvaro Siza Vieira.

* '''Parque das Nações''': the only ''bairro'' to have well-defined borders (which correspond to the parish of, surprise, surprise, Parque das Nações) and former WretchedHive and decaying industrial area of Lisbon (it was once a heavily polluted area with containers, slaughterhouses and other polluting industries, and a den of prostitution), it all changed with the coming of the Expo '98 (so influential it is still sometimes called by this name, especially among older people). It is today a commercial and higher end residential area, as well as a transportation hub, for the city, and it has a futuristic look to it. Before 2012, portions of this ''bairro'' were in the neighbouring municipality of Loures (not that anyone, except its inhabitants, ever noticed, especially if you were foreign).

* The ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRogue'' is largely set in the Seven Years War, but a memorable interlude takes place there, showing the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake.

* '''Baixa Pombalina''' (lit. the ''Pombaline downtown''): the city's downtown and most elegant quarter, it was one of the most hit areas during the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, it was subsequently rebuilt using earthquake-resistant construction, of which the ''Baixa'' was one of the first examples. It was named after Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquess of Pombal, which was the benefactor and catalyzer of the rebuilding of this part of the city.

* Luz Stadium[[labelnote:note]]Often incorrectly called "Stadium of Light" by foreign press. This is due to a [[overtly literal translation BlindIdiotTranslation]] of its original name "Estádio da Luz", with "Luz" being a reference to its ''address'', the Estrada da Luz ("Luz Road")[[/labelnote]] (a.k.a. ''the Cathedral'', it's Portugal's largest stadium and Benfica football/soccer club's home stadium)

* Luz Stadium[[labelnote:note]]Often incorrectly called "Stadium of Light" by foreign press. This is due to a literal translation of its original name "Estádio da Luz" but whereas Luz does mean "Light", it's actually a reference to its ''address'', the Estrada da Luz ("Luz Road")[[/labelnote]] (a.k.a. ''the Cathedral'', it's Portugal's largest stadium and Benfica football/soccer club's home stadium)