Statue of José I of Portugal

The Praça do Comércio (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈpɾasɐ du kuˈmɛɾsju]; transl. Commerce Plaza) is a large, harbour-facing plaza in Portugal's capital, Lisbon, and is one of the largest in Portugal, with an area of 175 by 175 m (574 by 574 ft), that is, 30,600 m2 (329,000 ft2). Facing the Tagus (Tejo) to the South, the plaza is still commonly known in Portuguese as Terreiro do Paço ([tɨˈʁɐjɾu du ˈpasu] (transl. Palace Yard), as it hosted the Paço da Ribeira (transl. Royal Palace of Ribeira) until the latter was destroyed by the great 1755 Lisbon earthquake (the subway station located there is still named after the old name of the plaza). After the earthquake, the plaza was completely remodeled as part of the rebuilding of the Pombaline Downtown (Baixa), ordered by Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, who was (chief) Minister of Portugal from 1750 to 1777, during the reign of the Portuguese King José I.From the 19th century onwards, Praça do Comércio became the seat of some of the most important Portuguese state departments, including the Ministries of Finances, Internal Affairs, Agriculture and Sea; before the Carnation Revolution (1974) and the creation of a unified Ministry of Defence, it was also the location of the War and Navy Ministries, as well as the old Ministry of Colonies (up to 1967), and thus also became a methonym for the Portuguese central government. Also housed there is the Supreme Court. In June 1910, just a few months before the establishment of the Portuguese Republic, Praça do Comércio was classified as a National Monument of Portugal.

São Nicolau (Portuguese pronunciation: [sɐ̃w̃ nikuˈlaw]) (English: Saint Nicholas) is a former civil parish (freguesia) in the city and municipality of Lisbon, Portugal. It was 0.25 km² in area with 1,175 inhabitants as of 2001. At the administrative reorganization of Lisbon on 8 December 2012 it became part of the parish Santa Maria Maior.

Ribeira Palace (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁiˈbɐjɾɐ]; Portuguese: Paço da Ribeira) was the main residence of the Kings of Portugal, in Lisbon, for around 250 years. Its construction was ordered by King Manuel I of Portugal when he found the Royal Alcáçova of São Jorge unsuitable. The palace complex underwent numerous reconstructions and reconfigurations from the original Manueline design, ending with its final Mannerist and Baroque form. The Ribeira Palace, as well as most of the city of Lisbon, was destroyed in the 1755 earthquake. After the earthquake, the reigning monarch, King José I, suffered from claustrophobia and chose to live the rest of his life in a group of pavilions in the hills of Ajuda, and thus the palace was never rebuilt. Today, Lisbon's primary square, the Praça do Comércio, is situated on the site of the former palace. The square is still popularly referred to as the Terreiro do Paço ("Palace Yard/Square"), reminiscent of the now destroyed royal residence.

The Rua Augusta Arch (Portuguese: Arco da Rua Augusta) is a stone, triumphal arch-like, historical building and visitor attraction in Lisbon, Portugal, on the Praça do Comércio. It was built to commemorate the city's reconstruction after the 1755 earthquake. It has six columns (some 11 m high) and is adorned with statues of various historical figures. Significant height from the arch crown to the cornice imparts an appearance of heaviness to the structure. The associated space is filled with the coat of arms of Portugal. The allegorical group at the top, made by French sculptor Célestin Anatole Calmels, represents Glory rewarding Valor and Genius. Originally designed as a bell tower, the building was ultimately transformed into an elaborate arch after more than a century.

The Supreme Court of Justice (STJ), is the highest court of law in Portugal without prejudice to the jurisdiction of the Constitutional Court. The judges of the STJ are referred to as counselors. Its president is elected by and from among the judges of the court. The STJ is installed in the buildings of the northern wing of the Terreiro do Paço square in Lisbon.

The Ministry of Justice (Portuguese: Ministério da Justiça) is the Portuguese government ministry responsible for the administration of the judiciary system. It is headed by the Minister of Justice. The Ministry of Justice should not be confused with the Public Ministry. This last one is not a Government ministry - despite the name - but the independent body of magistrates of the Judiciary charged with the public prosecution and the legal representation of the State before the courts. Unlike many other countries, the Portuguese Minister of Justice does not have any kind of hierarchic authority over the public prosecutors.

The Ministry of Home Affairs, is the Portuguese government ministry responsible for public security, civil defense, electoral administration, road traffic safety, and immigration and refugee affairs. The current minister is Luís Neves, who had previously served as National Director of the Polícia Judiciária. He replaced Maria Lúcia Amaral, who resigned in February 2026 in the wake of Storm Kristin.

Terreiro do Paço station is part of the Blue Line of the Lisbon Metro.

The Banco de Portugal (English: Bank of Portugal) is the central bank of the Portuguese Republic. The bank was founded by royal charter in 1846, during the reign of Queen Maria II of Portugal, by a merger of the Banco de Lisboa (Bank of Lisbon), the first bank founded in Portugal, and the Companhia Confiança Nacional (National Insurance Company), making it one of the oldest banks in continuous operation in the world. It is a full member of the Eurosystem and the European System of Central Banks.

The Lisbon Municipal Chamber (Portuguese: Câmara Municipal de Lisboa) is the administrative authority in the municipality of Lisbon. It has 24 freguesias in its area of jurisdiction and is based in the city of Lisbon, on the Lisbon District. These freguesias are: Ajuda; Alcântara; Alvalade; Areeiro; Arroios; Avenidas Novas; Beato; Belém; Benfica; Campo de Ourique; Campolide; Carnide; Estrela; Lumiar; Marvila; Misericórdia; Olivais; Parque das Nações; Penha de França; Santa Clara; Santa Maria Maior; Santo António; São Domingos de Benfica and São Vicente. The Lisbon City Council is the largest in the country and is made up of 17 councillors, representing, currently, four different political forces. The first candidate on the list with the most votes in a municipal election or, in the event of a vacancy, the next candidate on the list, takes office as President of the Municipal Chamber.

The Lisbon City Hall (Portuguese: Paços do Concelho de Lisboa, lit. 'Palace of the Municipality of Lisbon') is the seat of the Lisbon municipal government. The building is located in the City Square (Praça do Município), Santa Maria Maior, Lisbon. It houses the Lisbon City Council. Built in the neoclassical style, its monumental façade features a large pediment over a central balcony with sculptures by Calmels, and four oculi. Inside, it has a remarkable central staircase, by the architect José Luís Monteiro, and paintings by several artists, like Pereira Cão, Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro, José Malhoa e José Rodrigues. The original city hall was built following plans by Eugénio dos Santos, during the reconstruction of the Baixa neighbourhood that followed the 1755 earthquake. On 19 November 1863, a fire completely razed the building. A new City Hall was built in the same location, with plans drawn by architect Domingos Parente da Silva, between 1865 and 1880.Since the 1930s and 1940s, the building had seen successive architectural additions, to the point where even a new floor was added over the rooftop. A new fire, on 7 November 1996, damaged the upper floors and the ornate painted ceilings of the first floor. Architect Silva Dias conducted an intervention plan to recover the building, and to bring it closer to Domingos Parente da Silva's initial plans.

The Ministry of Finance, officially the Ministry of State and Finance, is a Portuguese government ministry.