Lisbon, Imperial Capital of Maritime Empire

Timeline

1. 1255–1415Lisbon · PortugalFrom 1255 Lisbon became the capital of the Kingdom of Portugal, controlling the Tagus estuary's route to the Atlantic, an important political and port city of the western Iberian Peninsula in the medieval period.
2. 1415–1570Lisbon port and Belém district · LisbonIn the 15th–16th centuries Lisbon served as the capital of Portugal's maritime empire, coordinating routes to Africa, India, and Brazil, building the Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery, and acting as the global hub of the spice and slave trades.
3. 1571–1578Lisbon · PortugalFrom 1571 to 1578 King Sebastian based himself in Lisbon to plan expeditions to Morocco; the city still maintained route management to Goa, Brazil, and the African coast, but finances grew increasingly strained by war and overseas commitments.
4. 1578–1580Lisbon · IberiaAfter the king fell at the Battle of Alcácer Quibir in 1578, Lisbon fell into a succession crisis; in 1580 Philip II's forces entered the city, Portugal was absorbed into the Spanish Habsburg monarchy, and although the capital remained in Lisbon, the sovereignty structure changed.