Parca do Comercio is Western Europe’s largest royal square.
The Parca do Comercio is a large plaza in Lisbon, Portugal that is bordered on three sides by bright yellow buildings and open on the fourth side along the Tagus River near the entrance to the Atlantic Ocean.
This waterfront square is where the royal palace stood for over two centuries until 1755 when it was destroyed by an earthquake. After the earthquake the royal family moved to another residence and the new buildings acted as the port of entry to the city.
When the new buildings were built the name of the plaza was changed from Palace Square to Parca do Comercio meaning commercial square or market square but it is still often called Palace Square by locals.
Even without the palace, the rebuilt plaza is one of Europe’s most majestic. The plaza is large and measures 175 meters by 175 meters (574 ft. by 574 ft,) which makes it 30,600 square meters (329,000 sq. ft.).
Entrance Gate
The primary entrance into the plaza is through the Rua Agusta Arch that separates the Parca do Comercio with the Rua Agusts, the main pedestrian shopping street of Lisbon.
The plaza’s triumphal arch was meant to welcome those arriving in the city by boat. The first photo below is as people enter the plaza from Rua Agusta and the second photo is how the arch looks form inside the plaza. The third photo is from inside the arch looking up.
The sculptures on top of the arch are named Glory holding the wreaths over Gunius and Bravery which represents the two rivers in Portugal, Tejo and Douro. The statues below them are important historical figures who made a significant impact in Lisbon.
Surrounding building
The plaza is framed on three sides by brightly yellow colored 18th century Portuguese architecture with an arched covered passageway where vendors setup to sell products.
The buildings still house a few government offices but the buildings have mostly turned into restaurants, a hotel, and a museum about Lisbon’s history.
Riverside Entrance
The Parca do Comercio was constructed as an entrance into Lisbon from arriving sea ships. Previously passengers arriving by boat would disembark at the plaza and the original steps from the sea into the plaza are still existing.
The view from the plaza is wonderful and two of the City’s top landmarks can be seen from the plaza. The April 25th Bridge which is appears identical to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco because it was designed by the same firm and the Lisbon Christ Statue which is similar to the Rio de Janeiro Christ Statue are both easily seen from the Parca do Comercio.
Equestrian statue of King José I
Located in the center of the plaza and facing the river is a statue of King Jose I wearing his emperor’s clothing, mounted on his horse. The statue is 14 meters tall including the pedestal. The statue was unveiled in a huge celebration that lasted three days including a massive banquet for all the people of Lisbon.
Rua Augusta
Passing through the Rua Augusta Arch leads to the pedestrian shopping street of Rua Augusta. Each side of the street is lined with businesses and some areas have outdoor restaurants with seating in the street. The walking street is beautiful with impressively decorated cobblestone that makes for a great experience just to look at the wonderful patterns.
The Dust on My Shoes
The Parca do Comercio.is an impressive plaza just from its enormous size and the large statue of King Jose I located in the center of the plaza give it the feeling that it is still a royal plaza. Maybe that is why the locals still call it the Palace Square.
The triumphal arch leading into the city still gives the plaza the impression of being the gateway into Lisbon even though people arriving into the city no longer come through the plaza.
The Parca do Comercio has a very formal sense to it from its historical past but most of the people in the plaza are very casual and it is worth visiting just to see the river view.
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