Over 40 landmarks across Portugal will take part in a nationwide tribute to the victims of the devastating 1755 Lisbon earthquake, with 37 locations set to light up purple on the night of October 31 to November 1.
This year’s Recordar 1755 (“Remembering 1755”) campaign will reach 15 districts and autonomous regions, making it the largest edition yet.
At 9.40am on November 1 – the time traditionally associated with the earthquake – fire brigades across the country and vessels on the River Tagus will also sound their sirens and horns in a coordinated tribute.
In the Algarve, the Church of Santo António in Lagos and Sagres Fortress will be illuminated purple.
The initiative is promoted by Quake – Lisbon Earthquake Museum and combines remembrance of one of Portugal’s greatest disasters with a message about the importance of preparing for future earthquakes.
“The growing participation of organisations and municipalities from north to south confirms the importance of preserving the memory of 1755 and transforming it into a message of prevention,” said Ricardo Clemente, founder of the movement and Quake museum.
“Seeing the movement reach so many points of the country shows that this cause is capable of uniting communities around a common memory,” he added. “Each illuminated monument represents a tribute to the victims, but also a collective commitment to a country that is more aware and better prepared.”
According to the organisers, the following locations are due to be illuminated purple:
- Porto: Casa da Música
- Viseu: Castelo de Penedono
- Guarda: Castelo da Guarda
- Castelo Branco: Solar dos Viscondes de Oleiros
- Coimbra: Portugal dos Pequenitos
- Alcobaça: Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Cós
- Leiria: Castelo de Leiria
- Óbidos: Castelo de Óbidos
- Santarém: Hotel de Charme Casa da Amieira, Residência Sénior Francisca Cereja and Jardim das Portas do Sol
- Portalegre: Castelo de Alter do Chão
- Sintra: Castelo dos Mouros
- Cascais: Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora da Luz and Torre de Santo António
- Oeiras: Câmara Municipal de Oeiras, Jardins do Palácio Marquês de Pombal and Fundação Marquês de Pombal
- Lisbon: Castelo de São Jorge, Campo Pequeno, Sé de Lisboa, Mosteiro de São Vicente de Fora, Teatro Tivoli BBVA, Paços do Concelho, statue of D. José I in Praça do Comércio and Museu Nacional dos Coches
- Almada: Cristo Rei
- Palmela: Castelo de Palmela
- Reguengos de Monsaraz: Paços do Concelho
- Évora: Paços do Concelho and Teatro Garcia de Resende
- Lagos: Igreja de Santo António
- Sagres: Fortaleza de Sagres
- São Miguel, Azores: Convento de São Francisco, Ribeira Grande
- Terceira, Azores: Fortaleza de São João Baptista and Sé Catedral de Angra do Heroísmo
- Madeira: Câmara Municipal do Funchal
Several other landmarks will participate in different ways, including the Paço dos Duques de Bragança, Guimarães Castle and Igreja de São Miguel do Castelo, as well as Lisbon’s Museu do Oriente and the Convento da Arrábida in Setúbal.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese Firefighters League, Lisbon District Firefighters Federation and Transtejo Soflusa are joining the 9.40am siren tribute.
One of Portugal’s biggest disasters
The Great Lisbon Earthquake struck on November 1, 1755, devastating Lisbon and affecting large areas of Portugal and beyond. The earthquake was followed by a tsunami and widespread fires, making it one of the defining disasters in Portuguese history.
Created to pay tribute to the victims and also raise awareness about the dangers of future earthquakes, the Recordar 1755 initiative has expanded rapidly.
In 2024, it was concentrated in Lisbon. In 2025 it reached five districts, while organisers say this year’s campaign now covers around 70% of Portugal’s districts and autonomous regions.
Quake describes that expansion as a way of transforming historical memory into practical awareness of seismic risk.
The Lisbon museum, which opened in April 2022, uses interactive rooms, simulators and immersive environments to recreate the events of 1755 while explaining earthquakes and how people can prepare for them.
According to the organisation, it has welcomed more than 610,000 visitors since opening.