. The Pombaline style introduced early
anti-seismic design features and early
prefabricated building methods.
A flexible wooden structure implanted on the walls, floors and roofs and later covered by pre-manufactured building materials "shakes but doesn’t fall."
Lisbon’s downtown, called Baixa, the area most affected by the earthquake, is built over unstable ground, and it is thus necessary to reinforce the whole area. Another anti-seismic system was needed in this area, consisting of a forest of buried poles. Because these poles are exposed to salty water they maintain their elasticity and resist rot. The
prefabrication system was completely new. The building was entirely manufactured outside the city, transported in pieces and then assembled on site. The construction, which lasted into the nineteenth century, lodged the city's residents in safe new structures that were unheard of before the quake.
Lisbon was completely changed: the
medieval streets gave place to an orthogonal city, organizing the area between the
city old squares, Rossio and Terreiro do Paço, with a modern design. Large spaces, gorgeous light and good ventilation, missing in the medieval city, became features of the new Lisbon. The Terreiro do Paço, with a new name (
Praça do Comércio) and without the
Royal Palace, was moved west and opened to the
Tagus River. New royal buildings were constructed, including twin towers inspired by the former Royal Palace tower; a statue of King
Joseph I by
Machado de Castro; and a triumph arc built in the nineteenth century, a symbol of triumph over the
earthquake. The Rossio Square lost the old and destroyed
Hospital de Todos os Santos, and remained the city "Forum", retaining its popular character despite the elegant new buildings. The Pombaline building is a structure of up to four floors, with arcades on the ground floor to allow for shops and balconies on the first and uppermost floor. All of the buildings follow that general typology, but the small decorative details in the façade depend on the building's significance and use. Each building is isolated by walls to stop the spread of fires. The construction of new palaces were regulated and ostentatious designs were rejected (a very unpopular situation among the aristocracy), which allowed decoration only in the portal. Windows too may be slightly more elegant than those of other buildings. The churches follow the spirit of the time, with minimal architectural decoration outside. Single-room buildings with side altars, internal decoration following
Rococo taste, simulated materials in wood and plaster, several paintings (
Pedro Alexandrino de Carvalho made the best works) and a small number of sculptures was the norm. The spaces are pleasant and light. The most important churches are Santo António da Sé (where
St. Anthony was born), Incarnação, São Domingos, Madalena, Mártires.
Vila Real de Santo António, in the
Algarve, is an example of a village built after the Pombaline style. ==See also==