The beautiful building of the Exchange Palace clearly stands out with its neoclassical features and columns among the surrounding buildings. It was built for the needs of the Trade Association of Porto on the site of the monastery of St. Francis, which was destroyed by fire in 1832. The palace was designed by the Portuguese architect Joaquim da Costa Lima Junior. The main work on the construction of the building was completed in 1850, but work on its interior design continued until 1910. Thanks to the efforts of many artists and architects, this business building turned into a real palace.→