Best Meetings & Conference Centre Europe
Business Destinations Travel Award 2014,2015 & 2017
Best Meetings & Conference Centre Europe
Business Destinations Travel Award 2014,2015 & 2017
Located in the historic city centre of Porto, by the Douro River
Historic building, recovered by Arch. Souto Moura
36 000 m² of flexible area
22 multifunctional spaces
400 parking spaces
Wi-Fi total coverage
Rooms with built-in translation booths
Access for disabled people
Shipping dock
Congresses up to 3000 pax
Banquets up to 1700 pax
Exhibitions up to 10 000 m²
Concerts up to 1200 pax
Cultural environment
Existence of cultural and museological areas inside the building (Museum of Transport and Communications)
1123 –The first written references of custom affairs in Porto appear in the form of an agreement set by Bishop D. Hugo.
1254/1255 – With the expansion of commerce to the north and after many conflicts between bourgeois and Porto´s episcopal authority, Alfândega appears as entity of central authority.
1320 – During these conflicts, D. Afonso IV commands to "fazer o almazém e allfandega" (create a warehouse and customs house), a space destined to store goods.
1335 – After many protests and conflicts, the houses of allfandega are built to serve as a customs house (nowadays the Casa do Infante).
1400 – Throughout the years, many amplification and reconstruction projects were performed, for example, the construction of “Rua Nova” (nowadays Infante D. Henrique Rd).
1410 – D. João I granted a new agreement for the reorganization of the customs service.
1517 – Confirmation of the King´s rights on the customs tax upon the agreement set by D. Manuel.
1535 – D. João III issues the regulation to make the institution modern and able to correspond to the commercial increase caused by the connections to Brazil.
1668 – Standardisation of the realm´s customs system, after the restoration of independence.