Formerly known as “Campo do Forno” and “Praça da Rainha,” Praça da República is the heart of the city. It is adorned with numerous 16thcentury buildings such as Chafariz (fountain) built by master banker mason João Lopes o Velho; Antigos Paços do Concelho (Old City Hall), former City Hall where the chamber in which council members would meet is on the noble floor and an arcade used by scribes who wrote documents for the illiterate is on the ground floor. Last but not least, the square boasts edifício da Misericórdia e Igreja (Misericórdia building and Church), a unique example of Renaissance and Mannerist architecture dating back to 1589.