The Praça do Comércio  (Commerce Square, better known as Terreiro do Paço), was the land where the Royal Palace of Lisbon was located for more than 200 years.
It is one of the most important squares in Lisbon and, with a great view of the Tagus estuary, it is the nerve center of the city
It is one of the largest squares in Portugal and Europe.
It is a space full of life and movement, mandatory for all visitors.
In 1511, D. Manuel I changed his residence from the Castle of San Jorge to this place next to the Tagus. This palace and its library with more than seventy thousand volumes was destroyed by the Lisbon Earthquake. In the reconstruction, the square became a fundamental element of the plans of the Marquis of Pombal. The new buildings, with arcades surrounding the plaza, are currently occupied by ministries.
Several historical events have occurred in this square:

Before the 1755 earthquake, there was the Royal Palace, in whose library 70,000 volumes and hundreds of works of art were kept, including paintings by Titian, Rubens and Correggio. Everything was destroyed. The actual archives with the documents relating to the exploration of the ocean, including, for example, numerous letters from the discovery of Brazil and other ancient documents were also lost.

On February 1, 1908, King Carlos and his son, Luis Felipe, were assassinated when they passed through the square.

On April 25, 1974, the square witnessed the rebellion of the Armed Forces Movement, which overthrew the government of Marcello Caetano and the New State, a revolution without bloodshed.

On May 11, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI, during his pastoral visit to Portugal, celebrated a mass in the square