In 1789, Domingos Pereira opened Velas Loreto, an elegant candle store near Chiado. Candles were an essential commodity, so the store prospered despite the Napoleonic invasions.
Initially, Velas Loreto produced only white candles. That all changed in 1845, when the great Hungarian pianist Franz Liszt arrived in Lisbon to play at the São Carlos opera house. Liszt ordered red candles from Velas Loreto to decorate São Carlos. His brilliant performance and the novelty candles were the event of the year.
There are those who say that offering a loved one candles from Velas Loreto makes love endure. We cannot vouch for the veracity of this claim. All we know, is that there’s something magical about this store that outlasted Napoleon’s empire and continues to illuminate Lisbon.
Velas Loreto is located on Rua do Loreto 53-59 in Lisbon. Their telephone number is 213425387.
Salt of Portugal 
This photo brought back great memories. We bought gold candles in that store when we were in Lisbon last year. We LOVED Lisbon. It is a sophisticated, modern, European city combined with old world charm and history. And we had some of the best meals of our lives in the restaurants.
We are very happy that you enjoyed Lisbon!