Lonja de la Seda (Silk Exchange)

The Lonja de la Seda, the Silk Exchange, is the finest civil Gothic building in Valencia and one of the great monuments of the Crown of Aragon. It was built between 1482 and 1533 as a trading hall for merchants, when silk was one of the main sources of wealth for the city and Valencia was a leading commercial centre of the western Mediterranean. UNESCO inscribed it on the World Heritage list in 1996, describing it as an exceptional example of the way a wealthy mercantile society expressed its power and prosperity in architecture. Among the architects involved were Pere Compte and Joan Ibarra.

The main hall, the Sala de Contratación, is the highlight of the visit. A forest of slender columns twists upward in spirals, as if they were ropes, and they branch into ribs that form a star-shaped vault. The effect is of a palm grove carved in stone, with light filtering in through tall windows. The hall was where merchants negotiated deals and settled accounts, and the space was designed to impress as well as to be practical. Inscriptions on the walls remind traders of the importance of honest dealing.

Other parts of the complex complete the picture. The Consolat de Mar, or Consulate of the Sea, was a court where disputes between merchants were settled, and its hall has a richly decorated wooden ceiling. A tower connects the two buildings and gives access to upper rooms. An orange tree courtyard, the Patio de los Naranjos, provides a quiet garden space, framed by a gallery with carved details. On the exterior, sculpted gargoyles and grotesque figures decorate the façade and are fun to spot from the street.

The Lonja stands in the old centre of Valencia, on the Plaza del Mercado and facing the Mercado Central, with the Church of Santos Juanes beside it. It is close to the cathedral, the Plaza de la Virgen and the Barrio del Carmen, and so is easy to combine with a walking tour of the historic centre. The visit is fairly short, and a good plan is to look at the exterior, step inside for the hall and then walk across to the market for lunch.

It suits history and architecture lovers, and those curious about the commercial past of the Mediterranean. Check the current opening times and any free-entry days through the official channels.