The Lisbon earthquake caused considerable damage not only in Portugal but in Spain - particularly in Madrid and Seville. The shock waves were felt throughout Europe and North Africa, over an area of about 1,300,000 square miles.
In Europe, ground motions were felt in Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and as far away as the Duchy of Luxembourg and Sweden. Unusual phenomena were observed at great distances. For example, seiches were observed in Finland. In Italy, an ongoing volcanic eruption of Vesuvius stopped abruptly.
Precursory phenomena also had been widely observed prior to the great earthquake. For example in Spain, there had been reports of falling water levels. Turbid waters and a decrease in water flow in springs and fountains had been reported in both Portugal and Spain.
In North Africa the quake caused heavy loss of life in towns of Algeria and Morocco - more than 400 miles south of Lisbon. The town of Algiers was completely destroyed. Tangiers suffered great loss of lives and extensive damage. The earthquake was particularly destructive in Morocco, where approximately 10,000 people lost their lives. Archival records document that the coastal towns of Rabat, Larache, Asilah, and Agadir (named Santa Cruz while under Portuguese rule) suffered much damage. Even the interior cities of Fez, Meknes and Marrakesh were similarly damaged. In Meknes, numerous casualties occurred. Churches, mosques and many other buildings collapsed.
Lisbon 1755 was epochal, not because it was felt throughout Europe, but because it led to a sudden awakening in sociology, the state, philosophy, and art, and other disciplines that don’t need to be mentioned just now.