Leal Senado Building

The Leal Senado faces Senado Square from the south and has been the seat of municipal government since 1784, its title, the loyal senate, granted after Macao held for the Portuguese crown during the Spanish union. Behind the entrance hall a walled courtyard garden in blue and white azulejo tile leads to a stairway and a library modelled on the one at Mafra in Portugal. The chamber upstairs is open when not in use.

What you actually see

• The azulejo courtyard - the walled garden in blue and white Portuguese tile.
• The library - the reading room modelled on the palace library at Mafra.
• The senate chamber - the meeting room upstairs, open when not in use.
• The 1784 building - the seat of municipal government since the eighteenth century.

When to go

October to December is dry and cool. The building keeps daytime hours and closes Mondays. The library has its own limited hours.

Honest expectations

The building closes on Mondays and rooms are shut when in use. The library is small and access is sometimes restricted. Senado Square outside is crowded.

Nearby

Senado Square is in front, and the Holy House of Mercy is opposite.