The 1755 Lisbon Earthquake was a catastrophic event for the Portuguese capital and it was violently perceived even in the western half of the Iberian Peninsula. Traditionally, to this seismic event are recognized several buildings damages in Castile and Leon. In this paper, we analyse the damages that could have occurred in the centre of the region, starting from the reports issued by local governments explaining the extent of the earthquake perception. The study will focus on the Valladolid Cathedral and its bell tower; the latter fell in 1841 and its collapse has been attributed to the Lisbon Earthquake of 86 years earlier. However, the analysed documentation (some of it previously unpublished) shows that the tower conditions were poor before the earthquake. The structure underwent repairs since its construction to improve its stability. In the 1740s, some architects as Fray Pedro de la Visitación and Antonio San José Pontones worked and made reports on the tower. In 1755, the Lisbon Earthquake was clearly perceived within the cathedral. After this event, the tower was affected by an important repair action by the academic architect Ventura Rodríguez. The repairs did not improve the problems already encountered before the earthquake, especially regarding damages caused by rainwater infiltrations. For these reasons, the collapse of 1841 cannot be attributed only to the seismic effects of the Lisbon Earthquake.

The Collapse of the Tower of Valladolid Cathedral and its Controversial Relationship with the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake

Angelo Salemi;Attilio Mondello;
2018-01-01

Abstract

The 1755 Lisbon Earthquake was a catastrophic event for the Portuguese capital and it was violently perceived even in the western half of the Iberian Peninsula. Traditionally, to this seismic event are recognized several buildings damages in Castile and Leon. In this paper, we analyse the damages that could have occurred in the centre of the region, starting from the reports issued by local governments explaining the extent of the earthquake perception. The study will focus on the Valladolid Cathedral and its bell tower; the latter fell in 1841 and its collapse has been attributed to the Lisbon Earthquake of 86 years earlier. However, the analysed documentation (some of it previously unpublished) shows that the tower conditions were poor before the earthquake. The structure underwent repairs since its construction to improve its stability. In the 1740s, some architects as Fray Pedro de la Visitación and Antonio San José Pontones worked and made reports on the tower. In 1755, the Lisbon Earthquake was clearly perceived within the cathedral. After this event, the tower was affected by an important repair action by the academic architect Ventura Rodríguez. The repairs did not improve the problems already encountered before the earthquake, especially regarding damages caused by rainwater infiltrations. For these reasons, the collapse of 1841 cannot be attributed only to the seismic effects of the Lisbon Earthquake.
2018
978-88-96386-56-9
Valladolid Cathedral; Tower; Collapse; Lisbon-Earthquake; Masonry-construction
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11769/316369
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