Over 40 locations of 15 districts will light up in purple

Mais 40 sites of 15 districts of the country will light up from purple on Saturday night to Sunday to raise awareness of the population to seismic risks, according to Quake – Museu do Terramoto de Lisboa, promoter of the campaign.

The civic campaign, promoted by Quake and the Movement “Remember 1755”, aims to preserve the memory of the great earthquake, which caused thousands of deaths, and to raise awareness of the importance of seismic preparation.

In a statement, the promoter says that on Saturday night for Sunday emblematic spaces of the country will light up in purple, the symbolic color of the initiative and at 09:40 Sunday, time of the earthquake of 1755, firemen and boats corporations in the Tagus “will join in a chorus of sirens”.

“ Among the spaces that are associated with the initiative are some of the most symbolic places of Portuguese historical, cultural and religious heritage, such as Praça do Comércio, Sé de Lisboa, Cristo Rei, Casa da Música no Porto, the garden of Portas do Sol in Santarém and the Fortress of São João Baptista in Angra do Heroísmo ", says Quake in a statement.

The initiative is supported by local authorities throughout the country, the Portuguese Firefighters League, the Transtejo Soflusa and the Portuguese Insurance Association.

Ricardo Clemente, founder of the movement and the Quake museum, said, quoted in the note, that “the growing adherence of entities and municipalities from north to south of the country confirms the importance of preserving the memory of 1755 and transforming it into a message of prevention”.

“Seeing the ‘Remember 1755’ Movement reach so many points in the country shows that this cause is able to unite communities around a common memory. Each illuminated monument represents a tribute to the victims, but also a collective commitment to a more conscious and prepared country ", said.

In 2024, the initiative was concentrated in Lisbon and, in 2025, reached five districts.

In 2026, accession extended to 70% of the autonomous districts and regions of the national territory.

On November 1, 1755, at 9:40, an intense earthquake struck the city of Lisbon, destroying most of its buildings, streets and squares.

The earthquake followed a tsunami with waves of about five meters high coming from the river Tagus, which flooded the riverside of the city, approximately to the area where the Arc da Rua Augusta is located today.

At the same time, numerous fires were set, caused by stoves in houses and candelabras in churches. It is estimated that they died between 10,000 and 90,000 people.