Leal Senado Building

If buildings could talk, this one would have the most extraordinary stories to tell. You are standing before the Leal Senado Building, the seat of Macao's municipal government for nearly two hundred and fifty years, and one of the finest examples of Portuguese colonial architecture in Asia. The word leal means loyal, and there is a wonderful story behind it. In 1654, the Portuguese king bestowed the title City of the Name of God, Macao, There Is None More Loyal upon this city. Why? Because during the sixty years when Spain ruled Portugal, Macao was one of the few Portuguese territories that refused to fly the Spanish flag. The city remained stubbornly, defiantly Portuguese. This building is a monument to that loyalty. The structure dates from 1784, though it has been renovated several times. Its neo-classical facade faces directly onto Senado Square. Push through the entrance and you step into another world. The interior courtyard is a quiet oasis. Walls lined with blue and white azulejo tiles, those gorgeous painted ceramic tiles that are one of Portugal's greatest artistic traditions, create an atmosphere that feels more Lisbon than Guangdong. These tiles depict classical scenes and geometric patterns, and they are...