Largo Cândido dos Reis, Leiria

This public space in the form of a very narrow and elongated triangle is located in the western part of the historical center of the city and is named after Candido dos Reis, a Portuguese admiral and prominent republican figure, the most important of the organizers of the revolution of 1910. In the Middle Ages, the main shopping street of Leiria, Rua Direita (now Rua Barão Viamonte), ended here and the square was a continuation of the shopping area: farmers and artisans came here to sell their products. At that time, there was no pavement here, so the square was called the traditional word for such places Terrio (unpaved area), this name can be heard from locals today. As the center of Togovli, the square has played a major role in the development of the city, and is the third historical hub after Leiria Castle and the central Rodrigues Lobo Square. Next to the Terreiro were the ancient Chambers of the Portuguese Kings (Paços Régios), where King Afonso III held the famous Cortes of Leiria. Kings convened cortes to introduce new taxes, discuss laws, and resolve succession issues, with only the titled nobility participating. For the first time in the history of Portugal, representatives of different classes were invited to the Cortes of 1254, who could discuss their problems with the monarchical elite. In the 17th century, the square was already in the center of the sprawling city, and its surroundings became an elite quarter. In the 17th and 18th centuries, luxurious estates (solares) belonging to the highest Portuguese nobility were built here. A typical representative of that era is the Casa Athayde, which I will discuss in the next article. At the end of the 20th century, the square was the center of Leiria's nightlife, with cafes and bars open here, and music blaring all night. With the development of tourism, noisy youth entertainment venues have been removed from the historical center. Only Os Filipes Bar, which opened in 1987 and became the first nightclub in the city, now recalls the wild nights. Now this quiet and romantic place is run by the same founder, Manuel Oliveira, who is happy to reminisce and tell you the story of Leiria's nightlife.