Lisbon was almost somewhere else. Portuguese officials considered moving the city after it was devastated by what is believed to be the strongest earthquake ever to strike modern Europe, in 1755, followed by a tidal wave as high as a double-decker bus and a six-day inferno that turned sand into glass. Lisbon''s charm is legendary, but its rich, 2,000-year history is not widely known. This single-volume history provides an unrivalled and intimate portrait of the city and an entertaining account of its colourful past. It reveals that in Roman times the city was more important than initially thought, possessing a large theatre and hippodrome. The 1147 Siege of Lisbon was a dramatic medieval battle that was a key part of the Iberian reconquista. As Portugal built an empire spanning four continents, its capital became a wealthy international bazaar. The Portuguese king''s cortège was led by a rhinoceros which was followed by five elephants in gold brocade, an Arabian horse and a jaguar. The Portuguese were the world''s biggest slavers, and by the mid-16th century around 10 percent of the Lisbon''s population was black, imbuing the city with an African flavour it has retained. Invasion by Napoleon''s armies, and the assassination of a king and the establishment of a republic, also left their marks. The city''s two bridges over the River Tagus illustrate the legacy of a 20th-century dictator and Portugal''s new era in Europe.
