Palácio da Bolsa

The Palácio da Bolsa was built from 1842 by Porto's commercial association on the site of the burned Franciscan convent, and its purpose was explicit: to convince foreign merchants that Porto was a serious place to do business. The Pátio das Nações is a glass-roofed courtyard with the coats of arms of the nations Portugal traded with painted around the dome. The showpiece is the Salão Árabe, an Arab Room in a Moorish revival manner modelled loosely on the Alhambra, worked on between 1862 and 1880 - eighteen years of carved and gilded arabesque covering every surface, with stained glass and Arabic inscriptions that, translated, praise Maria II rather than saying anything religious. It is still the association's headquarters and is used for receptions, which is why access is by guided tour only, at set times and in fixed languages.

History

The palace stands beside the Church of São Francisco, part of a convent whose cloisters burned in 1832, and in 1841 Queen Maria II gave the ruins to Porto's merchants for their Commercial Association. Building began in 1842 to plans by Joaquim da Costa Lima Júnior, most of the palace was finished by 1850, the interior decoration was completed only in 1910, and it has been a National Monument since 1982 (Wikipedia, Palácio da Bolsa).

What's there

• The Arab Room - eighteen years of Moorish-revival gilding and carving to 1880.
• The Pátio das Nações - a glass-domed courtyard with trading nations' arms.
• The staircase and halls - the granite and stucco rooms of the commercial association.
• The purpose - a building designed to impress foreign merchants into trading here.

When to go

Year-round. One hour. Guided tours only, at fixed times in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish - book ahead in season.

Good to know

No independent wandering; the tour is the only access and it moves quickly. Tours fill and slots sell out. The building is in active use, so rooms can be closed for events. Tickets are relatively expensive.

Nearby

São Francisco is next door; the Ribeira waterfront is a minute below.

Key facts