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When a severe earthquake destroyed Lisbon and most of the Portuguese south coast in 1755, the reconstruction of an entire nation was inevitable. The demand for window glass increased so much that William Stephens, a British businessman, expanded his business to Portugal and invested in the glass industry.

In 1769, Stephens bought the glass factory in Marinha Grande, a small town surrounded by a huge pine forest that had been planted in the sandy soil centuries earlier. Thanks to the decisive support of the Marquis of Pombal and the protection of King José I, this glass factory reached the level of its biggest European competitors and became an important development factor for the region and the whole country.

William and his brother John hired glassmakers from England and Italy and gave them work in Portugal. With their commercial skills and good civic education, the brothers succeeded in building up an unprecedented industry that provided medical care, education and cultural wealth for the workers and their families. Their commitment and perseverance attracted other Portuguese entrepreneurs, who also opened new factories, created new jobs and introduced new resources in the years that followed.

Even during the period marked by the destruction and oppression of Napoleon’s troops, the town refused to give in and – thanks to the Royal Glass Factory – once again developed into a major industrial center that still exists today.