Before this palace existed, Porto’s merchants were forced to settle their business in the open air on Rua dos Ingleses. That makes the building before you more than a grand façade: it is the answer to a practical commercial problem. Work on the Palácio da Bolsa began in October 1842, after the old trading exchange closed.
As you stand safely by the façade, take in the formal, civic character of the architecture. The palace combines nineteenth-century neoclassicism with Tuscan elements and an English neo-Palladian influence. It remains the home of Porto’s Commercial Association, while also hosting cultural, social, and political occasions for the city.
Its celebrated interior is the Arab Room, where nineteenth-century plaster decoration covers the walls and ceiling with gilded Arabic lettering. This is the room used when visiting heads of state are honoured in Porto. Another highlight waits in the Portrait Room: master woodcarver Zeferino José Pinto spent three years making its renowned table. The building belongs to a protected heritage site, and its rooms turn the story of Porto’s trade into a remarkably ceremonial experience.
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