Valencia Travel - The Silk Exchange

The Silk Exchange (La Lonja de la Seda), Valencia

Today I´ve visited La Lonja de la Seda (The Silk Exchange) in Valencia for the thousandth time. I love it. The entrance is free and the place is not very big and lacks furniture, but it is really refreshing and castle like, with huge doors, very high ceiling and enormous columns. The Silk Exchange was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 for being one of the most stunning, most important and best preserved examples of Late Gothic architecture in the entire Europe.

Built at the beginning of XVIth century, La Lonja (Silk Exchange) is the real emblem of the Golden Age of Valencia - the times when the city was one of Europe's main economic centres. La Lonja is an impressive building and a must see for the traveler to Valencia and that´s why it is always included in any Valencian travel itinerary. La Lonja is composed of three parts (plus the Orange Garden - a walled court-yard). The main hall, Sala de Contratacion (The Contract Hall) is an enormous, lavishly decorated space supported by gorgeous twisted columns. This was the centre of life in La Lonja, the place where the merchants would meet, deal and sign. The side-wing is named the Pavillion of the Consulate, and this was the seat of the Tribunal del Mar - the first merchant tribunal to ever be formed in Spain. The first two floors were the main function rooms, with the upper one hosting a richly decorated ceiling - a masterpiece of medieval art which had the King ride out of the capital just to see it. La Lonja is situated next to the Central Market and only 5 minutes from the Town Hall, basically in the heart of Valencia and next to many typical tapas bars tourists and locals alike so enjoy.

The Silk Exchange (La Lonja de la Seda), ValenciaThe Silk Exchange (La Lonja de la Seda), ValenciaThe Silk Exchange (La Lonja de la Seda), ValenciaThe Silk Exchange (La Lonja de la Seda), ValenciaThe Silk Exchange (La Lonja de la Seda), Valencia The Silk Exchange (La Lonja de la Seda), Valencia

2 useful comments:

Ali H 7 de junio de 2010, 5:04  

i have never been to Valencia.. i am traveling to Spain this summer, do you recommend visiting? I am already planning to go to Seville, Madrid and Barcelona.

Laura 8 de junio de 2010, 10:46  

Ali, I've been living in Valencia for a couple of years now and I think it is a great city worth visiting. Best time to visit Valencia is in mid March when Las Fallas festival is. I also recomend you to visit Cordoba and Alhambra (Granada) since you are in the south of Spain. Other cities like Toledo, Avila or Salamanca are just a few hours in train from Madrid. If you go to Barcelona don't miss Figueres, a city next to Barcelona where the Salvador Dali Museum is. I hope this helps. Have a great time!

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