Praça do Comércio
NileGuide Expert Says:
Lined with a number of good restaurants and cafés, this is also where a number of buses and trams pick up and drop off.
User Rating:
Address:
Praca do Comercio
Lisbon, Portugal
Phone:
+351 21 0 312 700(Tourist Information)
NileGuide Expert tip:
A plaque on the northwestern wall denotes the spot where King Carlos and his son, Luís Felipe, were assassinated in 1908 thus ushering in the Portuguese Republic.
Description:
This vast concourse dips its toes in the River Tagus and is flanked on three sides by shaded arcades built under mustard coloured facades. Known also as Terreiro do Paço, the landmark square is one of the city's great reference points. Historically significant as the site of Lisbon's royal place for 400 years (destroyed in the 1755 earthquake), the layout is crowned by the huge triumphal arch on the north side of the square that acts as a gateway to the Baixa. The southwest promenade is served by Martinho da Arcada, Lisbon's oldest café, while the recently re-opened Terreiro do Paço restaurant and the new Aura restaurant entice visitors on the western side of the square. The bronze statue in the centre of the square depicts a mounted King José I and was erected in 1775. Interestingly, the serpents around the horse's hooves manage to dissuade pigeons from alighting on the plinth.
Map:
