Praca do Comercio is one of Lisbon’s grandest public squares, built directly on the waterfront where the royal Ribeira Palace once stood before it was destroyed in the 1755 earthquake.
The square was rebuilt as the centerpiece of the Marquis of Pombal’s reconstruction of downtown Lisbon, framed on three sides by yellow arcaded buildings and opening onto the Tagus River on the fourth.
Its landmark Rua Augusta Arch, completed in 1875 after more than a century of construction, can be climbed for panoramic views over the square and the river. The plaza is also a natural starting point for exploring the Baixa and Alfama districts.