Palácio da Bolsa

After the destruction of part of the monastery of San Francisco by the charge of absolutist cannons, the traders of the Oporto sought to create a commercial square in the ruins of the monastery in 1834. A few years later the merchants of Oporto present a project for a new commercial square in the ruined one Monastery, and the space is given to them by the then Queen Mary II.

The beautiful neoclassical building dates from 1842 and takes about thirty years to be finished. It has the date of 1834 in the facade, year of the creation of the Commercial Association of Oporto there based.

Inside the enormous cloister, known as the Nation’s room, is a set of coats of arms of the countries that at the time maintained trade with the Oporto. Also worthy of mention is the famed Arabic hall probably inspired by the Alhambra in Granada.