Porto Palacio da Bolsa

Palácio da Bolsa

Stock Exchange Palace

Palácio da Bolsa is a neoclassical style building, whose construction started in 1842 on land donated to the Commercial Association of Porto by the queen Dona Maria II. The land was vacant following a fire that destroyed the cloisters of the adjacent Church of St. Francis. The queen also provide a source of income to pay for the construction: all of the Porto customs duties for ten years. The construction took 70 years, including the interior decor.

The building was originally built for the Porto Stock Exchange and Court of First Instance. Today it is maintained as a tourist attraction and as a place for the reception of dignitaries.