Praça do Rossio

Officially named Praça de Dom Pedro IV, this square has been the heart of downtown Lisbon since the Middle Ages, hosting markets, celebrations and even public executions during the Inquisition. Its wave-patterned cobblestone paving, laid in black and white limestone, creates a dizzying optical effect underfoot. A bronze statue of Pedro IV crowns the central column, flanked by two baroque fountains, while the neoclassical Dona Maria II National Theatre closes the northern side of the plaza.