Seminars and company events
Pátio da Galé and the adjoining Sala do Risco give event organizers about 2,600 m² of ground-floor space in the west wing of Praça do Comércio, Lisbon's riverside square. The venue is marketed by Turismo de Lisboa, the city's tourism and convention bureau, for national and international events: conferences, corporate dinners, receptions, launches and cultural events.
The two halls sit side by side and are offered by the same venue team. The courtyard and the cloister around it suit a large dinner or a standing reception, while the Sala do Risco, a long hall with a domed ceiling and two rows of columns, works for a plenary, an exhibition or a seated dinner. A 238 m² reception hall on the Rua do Arsenal side gives a separate entrance for registration and the cloakroom. The official floor plan shows theatre, banquet and cocktail set-ups; the figures for each layout come from the venue team on request.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings and private dinners are among the events the venue lists. The neutral Lioz limestone floor and the pale arcades accept almost any decoration scheme and color palette, and the address, on the square that opens onto the Tagus, gives a large reception a central Lisbon setting.
Rooms and capacities
The official ground-floor plan gives these areas. The central courtyard, Pátio da Galé, covers 526 m². The cloister around it covers 961 m², for a combined 1,487 m². The Sala do Risco covers 851 m². The reception and entrance hall covers 238 m², and a smaller atrium of 66 m² links the courtyard to the street side. A service pantry sits beside the courtyard. Guest capacities are not published on the official pages and should be confirmed with the venue for the chosen layout.
Catering
There is no kitchen brigade attached to the venue: catering is brought in for each event. The official pages do not name an exclusive caterer, so organizers should confirm the rules and approved suppliers when they request a date.
History and setting
Praça do Comércio, also called Terreiro do Paço, occupies the site of the Royal Palace and the India House, both lost in the earthquake of 1755. The space that is now Pátio da Galé served as a car park before a renovation in 2010 that kept its architectural details, and it opened as an event venue in 2011. The Sala do Risco takes its name from its earlier role at the naval arsenal, where the drawings of large ships were laid out. A fire in 1916 destroyed the room together with the arsenal's library and classrooms. Restored with its domed ceiling and symmetrical columns, it reopened in 2011 and has since hosted exhibitions, including a display of the frigate Paciência, as well as corporate and private dinners.
Getting there
The venue is at Praça do Comércio, Ala Poente, 1100-148 Lisboa, in the Baixa. Terreiro do Paço metro station and the Cais do Sodré train, metro and ferry terminal are within walking distance, and Lisbon Humberto Delgado airport is linked to the center by metro and road. There are no bedrooms on site; the hotels of the Baixa and Chiado are a short walk away.
