A Whirlwind Tour of Lisbon Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tejo

The Tejo -- also famous under its Latin name, the Tagus -- flows from a large estuary into the Atlantic. Wide and deep, the waterway makes Lisbon an excellent port, attracting first Phoenicians, then Romans, Moors, and Portuguese Christians. Great explorers, including da Gama and Magellan, sailed from these shores.

Answer: Henry the Navigator

Prince Henry the Navigator (1394-1460), third son of King Joao I, devoted his life toward promoting Portuguese exploration, navigation and discovery. His interest in Africa piqued by the Portuguese conquest of Ceuta in Morocco, he went on to fund numerous exploratory voyages along the African coast. His voyages led to the discovery and colonization of the Madeira Islands as well as the Azores, and by the 1450s his share of West African slaves and gold made him an extremely wealthy man.

On the monument in Belem, the figure of Henry stands at the tip of a V-shaped procession of explorers and dignitaries, ranging from the internationally famous (like Magellan and da Gama) to Portuguese artists (including painter Nuno Goncalves and poet Luis Vaz de Camoes).

Answer: Antonio de Oliveira Salazar

The first twenty-five years of the twentieth century were fraught with instability for Portugal. The king and crown prince were assassinated in 1908; the monarchy was ended by a military uprising in 1910. The resulting republic seemed like a good idea, but it just didn't take: there were 45 changes of government between 1910 and 1926. Salazar rose to power after that last coup, becoming prime minister in 1932; he held the position until 1968, when he suffered a stroke and was replaced by Marcello Caetano.

On April 25, 1974, led by a faction of military officers ("the captains of April"), the dictatorship was ended in an almost-bloodless coup (four people were killed by government soldiers before they gave up). Many rebelling soldiers put carnations in the barrels of their rifles to indicate their peacefulness. To this day, the Portuguese remember "the Carnation Revolution," and that flower is a symbol of freedom.

Answer: Elevador de Santa Justa

Rising 45 meters above its base in Santa Justa Street, the Elevador de Santa Justa is a landmark in its own right. Built by Raul Mesnier de Ponsard from 1900-1902, its neogothic iron frame conceals two spacious wooden elevator cars, complete with benches (this is, after all, public transit!) On reaching the top, you can climb the spiral staircases to the terrace for a fabulous panoramic view of Lisbon; we'll give you ten minutes for photographs before moving across the footbridge to Bairro Alto.

Answer: An earthquake

November 1, 1755, was a catastrophic day by any measure. Successive tremors (up to 9 on the Richter scale) toppled buildings, and the shocks brought enormous waves from the Rio Tejo. Several churches and cathedrals were destroyed during Mass (it was All Saints' Day, a Catholic holiday, so the churches were full); the candles used for worship fell during the tremors, helping to ignite a blaze that burned most parts of the city that were not flooded. In Lisbon, as many as 90,000 people may have been killed -- about a third of the city's total population.

Almost all of the city was later rebuilt; the Convent of Carmo was near the end of the list. In the early 1800s it was decided to leave it a standing ruin as a memorial to the earthquake, and so it stands, its strangely bare arches marking the city skyline.

Answer: Alfama

The Alfama, built on bedrock, largely survived the 1755 earthquake that devastated the rest of Lisbon, so it alone was not completely replanned and rebuilt. Many a tourist has gotten lost in its charming yet hopelessly labyrinthine streets, but never fear: our Whirlwind tour guides know their way around.

In no time at all you'll be atop the castle walls, admiring the panoramic views of Lisbon.

Answer: The streets are laid out in a regular grid.

After the earthquake, the future Marques de Pombal was charged with the recovery effort; when faced with overwhelming chaos and asked what to do, he famously replied, "We will bury the dead and feed the living." Luckily for Lisbon, he ran it brilliantly and straightforwardly, and he revealed a surprising talent for urban planning.

The grid pattern he imposed on downtown ("the Baixa") was very innovative at the time.

Answer: azulejo

From "al zulaycha" comes "azulejo," one of Portugal's most charming art forms. At the National Azulejo Museum in eastern Lisbon, we'll see that while azulejos are often predominantly blue (especially when used as representational art), the palette has expanded over the centuries.

Individually hand-painted tiles are combined to form stunningly complex works of art, from a twelve-tile bordered depiction of a caravel to a thousand-tile retelling of the history of Lisbon. Enjoy the displays, and don't forget to visit the gift shop!

Answer: The Oceanarium of Lisbon, an aquarium with live specimens

The Oceanario de Lisboa, right on the shore of the Tejo, is home to over 450 species of sea animals living in seven million liters of water. Enjoy the manta rays and sharks at your own pace; then we'll walk around the park a bit before returning to the bus and getting supper. Don't forget to admire the Vasco da Gama cable-stayed bridge, the longest in Europe at 17.2 kilometers (counting viaducts and access ramps).

Answer: fate

Fado (fate, or destiny) is a mournful style of song that often focuses on longing and the problems of poverty. A single, female singer is backed up by guitarists (or occasionally by an entire string orchestra!) Singers wear a traditional black scarf in memory of the early death of Maria Severa, the first great fado singer; a later great singer, Amalia Rodrigues (1929-1999) is credited with popularizing the form worldwide.

This concludes our tour; enjoy the show! Thank you for choosing Whirlwind Tours for your trivia needs, and for giving Lisbon a look.