Episode 9: The Pombaline Cage
The Pombaline Cage became the symbol of one of the greatest challenges in the history of Portuguese engineering: the reconstruction of the city of Lisbon, which had been severely disfigured by the Great Earthquake of 1755. The so-called St Andrew’s cross-shaped structure offered good resistance to seismic action and can still be found today in many buildings in the capital. The most famous model is in the Civil Museum of the Instituto Superior Técnico. The history of the “Pombaline Cage” is covered in the 9th episode of the podcast.