Lonja de la Seda

The Lonja de la Seda, also called Llotja de la Seda in Valencian (meaning Silk Exchange in English) is a Mediaeval trading centre and one of the key examples of Valencian Gothic civil buildings.

The Mediterranean Gothic, a style peculiar to the region, reverberates in the halls of the building. In a display of elongated and evocative lines, intricate shapes and decorations, allegorical carvings and bas-reliefs, the building speaks to its architects’ devotion to the craft.

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The complex is representative of the power and wealth held by Valencia’s emerging merchant class in the 15th century. At that time, the city was becoming one of the most important Mediterranean mercantile centres. It was precisely this condition that allowed for the project of such an imposing building to be conceived.

As meticulously detailed as the façade is, it still does not do justice to the striking architecture and stone masonry that awaits inside the Silk Exchange. The columns and staircases will surprise you in their resemblance to natural shapes. The walls, doorways, windows, and ceilings will amaze you with their painstakingly detailed decorations.

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Serpentine figures and tormented faces hide in every corner of the structure. Thousands of stone eyes follow those that walk the halls of the Lonja, belonging to sometimes grotesque, sometimes frightening, and some other times, enigmatic figures.

You can find this UNESCO World Heritage site right in the heart of Valencia’s Old Town, in front of the Central Market. Because of its extremely central position, the Lonja can be part of any itinerary that passes by the city centre.

Tickets

The Lonja is listed as a Municipal Museum, so the price is extremely affordable, and on Sundays and public holidays, the entrance is free for everyone.

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If you have a Valencia Tourist card, your entrance is always free. If you want more information about these discounts, you can check out our article about the Valencia Tourist Card.

Here you have a summary table of the usual prices.

Being a Municipal Museum, the Lonja shares the same opening hours and ticket prices as many other tourist sights in Valencia.

Opening Hours

The Lonja is open Tuesday through Saturday, with reduced hours on Sundays and public holidays. Here we have put together a table with the opening times for the Lonja.

Location

The Silk Exchange is located right in the heart of Valencia’s city centre, in the Ciutat Vella. It is right in front of the Central Market and the Santos Juanes church, slightly west of Plaça de la Reina and the Cathedral.

The Lonja western side, the main façade, faces the Plaça del Mercat street. The rear (eastern side) overlooks the homonymous street, Carrer de la Llotja. The southern wall faces a pedestrian street, generally referred to as the Steps of the Lonja.

How to Get There

Because of the Lonja’s position, if you are in the city centre or close to it, we highly recommend you walk or bike there. If you are in a different part of the city, you might want to take public transport.

By Metro or Tram

There are a few metro stops not far from the Lonja. Depending on where you are located, one or the other might be more convenient.

Àngel Guimerà is one of the most important metro stations in Valencia, as five lines (1, 2, 3, 5, 9) meet at this stop. The stop is about 900 m (11-minute walk, just under 0.6 miles) west of the Lonja.

Your other two options are south of the Lonja. They are Xàtiva, the metro stop in front of the main train station, and Colón. They are respectively 850 m away (11-minute walk, just over 0.5 miles) and 950 m away (12-minute walk, 0.6 miles) from the Silk Exchange.

For detailed information about how this system works, you can read our article about the metro and trams in Valencia.

By Bus

There are various buses stopping by the Lonja. They will all drop you off behind the Central Market, which is just in front of the Silk Exchange. You will only need to walk between 200 and 350 m (between 0.1 and 0.2 miles).

For detailed information about tickets and how to get them, you can read our article about buses in Valencia.

Here you have a summary of the bus lines, routes, and stops you should use to reach the Lonja de la Seda.

By Taxi

Cabs are obviously the most expensive option to move around the city, and in this case, they are not the most comfortable way to get to your destination.

As the Silk Exchange is so central, we would only recommend this means of transport if your departure point is quite far from the old quarters, maybe in the outskirts of the city. It is normally quite easy to hail a taxi in the street in Valencia, but other options are also booking through a mobile app or through a phone call.

See detailed information on this in our article about taxis in Valencia.

By Bike

Valencia is a very bike-friendly city, so we always recommend exploring it this way.

On the official map, you’ll see that there are bike paths circling the city’s old quarters. You can also cycle in the city centre and its pedestrian zones, as long as there is enough room for people to walk. On the same map, you will also see that there are two Valenbisi stations close to the Lonja de la Seda, and many others not too far away.

This complex is also a very popular stop for many bike tours offered in the city. This way you won’t be able to stop and visit the interior, but you’ll see how to get there from other parts of the city centre.

By Scooter

Electric scooters are an ever-more popular transport solution in Valencia. They are ideal if you want to move independently around the city and you don’t want to get stuck in traffic, but you don’t like cycling or walking. Many scooter-sharing companies offer rental plans that let you pay per minute of use and nothing else.

You can park and drive your scooter within a designated area in the city’s urban zone. Generally, you are not allowed to park in the Old Town, where the Silk Exchange is. You will thus need to park nearby, just outside the no-park zone that you will see on your app’s map.

On Foot

Given that the Silk Exchange is right in the middle of the city’s old quarters, it is normal that reaching it on foot is not difficult at all. In fact, if you are in the centre, going on foot is likely the easiest option.

From Estación del Norte, located at the southern end of the city centre, the Lonja is only 800 m away (10-minute walk, 0.5 miles). To reach it you will simply have to walk north, towards the heart of the Old Town.

From the Serranos towers, at the northern edge of the centre, you will similarly have to walk 550 m (7-minute walk, 0.3 miles). This time, you will find the Lonja de la Seda south of your position.

If you like discovering a city on foot, we have created a selection of self-guided walking tours that you can enjoy at your own pace. You can find the one that best fits your needs on the Northleg itineraries section.

Useful Tips for Your Visit

Here you have our recommendations and tips to ensure that you make the most of your experience and you don’t miss out on anything the Silk Exchange in Valencia has to offer.

• Remember that while the Lonja is always free on Sundays and holidays, on those days it closes earlier than usual, at 2:00 pm instead of 7:00 pm.
• Because of the restricted opening hours, if you want to enjoy the monument in tranquillity and with fewer people around, we recommend you visit the Lonja during the week.
• On Sundays, between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm, there is a flea market where you can exchange antique collector’s items in front of the Lonja. You will find stamps, coins, banknotes, postcards, comics, vinyl, letters, books, and many more items.
• There is no specific time you need to be inside the Lonja de la Seda. If you wanted to, you could be in and out in 10 minutes, however, to appreciate all the intricate and detailed decorations of the building, we recommend you spend between 30 minutes and one hour in the Silk Exchange.
• If you want detailed information about the building during your visit, audio guides are available at the site for €2.25 per person.

Curiosities About the Lonja de la Seda

Have you noticed that at the very top of the building, crowning its halls, there are almost 30 gargoyles? To find out more about them, as well as the origins of the building’s name and its many functions throughout the years, you can keep reading this section.

The Gargoyles

Among the many decorative features, typical of the gothic architecture of the Lonja, we can find a total of 28 gargoyles along the top part of the building.

They are decorative elements as much as they are practical ones, channelling water from the roof. In fact, until 1535, they were simply called canals. It was only later that they started being called with the name we know them by, gargoyles.

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Most of these allegorical figures present fantastic, erotic, and satirical features. The subjects vary from monstrous creatures, fantastic animals, people caught in amusing or grotesque gestures, usually alluding to vices or sins.

Over the years the gargoyles have sparked much debate as to their enigmatic symbolism, which has mostly been lost to time and is thus difficult to identify. What we can say is that they present characteristics of primitive expressionism, inspired by the various Bestiaries popular in the Middle Ages (these were collections of moralised beast tales).

The Name

The building’s name, Lonja de la Seda, which we generally translate to Silk Exchange, literally means Portico of the Silk.

The term Lonja comes from the early Italian Loggia, meaning portico. This alludes to the fact that in early times, merchants used to conduct business under the churches’ porticoes, in an attempt to shelter themselves and the goods from the weather.

The fact that this is called the Silk Exchange, and not any other material, is due to the fact that, at the time of construction, the most important guild in Valencia was that of the silk merchants. The Silk Guild’s first administrators, between the 14th and 18th centuries, were Jewish silk workers. They later had to convert in order not to be exiled or executed during the Spanish Inquisition.

In any case, other goods like oil and cereals were also traded in the building. In fact, the previous Exchange was called the Oil Exchange.

Uses Throughout History

Over the years, the Lonja was put to various uses that were not limited to the ones suggested by its name or origin. For example, on more than one occasion, the Sala de Contratación was used as an improvised storage house for wheat in times of grain shortage.

During the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714), the building was converted into military barracks and the garden was used as a kitchen for the troops. This was the time when the building was known as El Principal. It was used for these purposes until 1762 when it was abandoned by the military.

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In times of pandemic outbreaks, like the cholera wave of 1854–1855, the site was also used as a makeshift hospital.

Almost at the end of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), when the Republican government took refuge in Valencia, the Lonja was used to hold meetings of the Spanish Parliament.

Until quite recently, the coin and stamp flea market also took place inside the Lonja on Sunday. Such an event now takes place in front of the building.

The Prison Tower

One of the four parts into which the Lonja is divided is the famous Tower, with the renowned spiral staircase. What not many know is that its two upper floors used to be a dungeon.

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Here, any merchant who failed to pay their debts, dishonest trader, or thief was kept prisoner. They would stay so until they were tried.

Brief History

The Lonja is the building that best exemplifies the flourishing wealth of Valencia’s Golden Age, the 15th century. The reason why this piece of Valencian civil gothic architecture exists as we know it today is the commercial boom experienced at the time.

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During this period, commerce became the basis of the Valencian economy, and the city became a pivotal point of exchange, in terms of the Mediterranean area.

It had trade relations with cities in France, Italy and North Africa. The city became rich and grew in demographic, cultural, and artistic terms.

The Origins of the Exchange (Before 1238)

When the Santos Juanes church was still a mosque, under Moorish rule, the space was already an area of tradesmen and merchants.

An Early Exchange (Late 13th-early 14th century)

In Plaça del Doctor Collado, the old Exchange already existed. It was known as Llotja de l’Oli, meaning Oil Exchange, even though other mercantile operations were carried out, too.

Valencia’s Golden Age (14th-15th century)

Valencia was living a time of prosperity and development, unaffected by the political problems in Catalonia and Aragon. With this commercial revolution, the local bourgeoisie acquired strength and prestige. The acquisition of capital by the emerging middle-classes meant that the city needed a new exchange to meet its needs and showcase its power.

Project Plans (1469)

When the old Exchange proved to be insufficient, the Consell General de la Ciutat (General City Council) decided to construct a new building to meet the conditions and facilities required by Valencia’s booming trade. This was an institution created in the mid-1200s with the aim of organising local public life in the name of the king.

Architects Chosen (1481)

Pere Compte and other stonemasons and architects were selected for the construction of the building.

The Land (1482)

The City counsel demolished 25 houses to obtain a plot of land for the new building. The first stone was officially laid there on 7th November 1482.

Beginning of Construction (1483)

The construction officially began on 5th February 1483.

Pere Compte’s Death (1506)

The main architect, Pere Compte, died in 1506 without having seen the completion of his work. Works on the Consulate Pavilion continue without him.

Construction Ends (1548)

The Lonja was finally completed after 66 years. It was referred to as Lonja de los Mercaderes (Merchants’ Exchange) or Lonja de la Seda (Silk Exchange) because of the activities carried out under its roof.

Military Station (1701-1762)

The building was used by the military as a temporary accomodation.

Hospital (1854-1855)

The building was used as a makeshift hospital during the cholera wave.

Spanish Parliament (1939)

The building was used to house the Republican government at the end of the Spanish Civil War.

World Heritage Status (1995)

UNESCO declared the site a World Heritage Site in December 1995.

Architectural Elements and Style

The Silk Exchange is one of the most outstanding examples of civil Gothic in Europe (as opposed to religious Gothic). Art historians distinguish its style as Mediterranean or Southern Gothic.

This is because this style arrived in Valencia only after the Reconquista (the recapture of the Iberian peninsula by the Christians, after centuries of Moorish occupation), later than in other countries. It, therefore, presents some differences from Northern European Gothic, which was considerably more cavernous and sepulchral.

Gothic architecture is characterised by its vertical elevation, with tall pillars, long, stained-glass windows, and different types of pointed arches. Stone sculpting is used to decorate buildings, with reliefs depicting geometric or plant motifs. We can find all these elements in the Lonja de la Seda.

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The Lonja stands on a rectangular plot of land covering about 2,000 square metres (about 21,500 square feet). The complex is divided into four parts: the Sala de Contratación, the Torreón (which includes a chapel), the Pabellón del Consulado, and the Patio de los Naranjos.

A sizable proportion of the area is occupied by the Sala de Contratación, but the elements are in perfect harmony with each other. The central tower is robust, with an elegant and serious outline.

Sala de Contratación

Sala de Contratación (Trading Hall, in English) is the main body of the building. It consists of a large hall divided into three long naves with a vaulted ceiling. The room has a markedly symbolic character, with strong allusions to paradise.

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The hall looks like a palm-tree forest, with columns imitating tree trunks, and ribbed vaults resembling branches. This effect was originally enhanced by paint, with the ceiling being tinted blue to mimic the heavens, and the vault ribs being painted in green, red, and gold leaf to mimic the branches of the trees.

For some time the Taula de Canvis i Dipòsits (Deposit and Exchange Table) was kept in the Sala de Contratación.

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A Taula was an early type of municipal public bank, the predecessor to a central bank. In practice, the Taula in Valencia was a desk at which mercantile transactions, exchange of currency, and the deposit of valuables were carried out, under guarantee and regulation of the City.

Patio de los Naranjos

The Patio de los Naranjos (Courtyard of the Orange Trees, in English) is the garden around which the entire building develops. The doorway between the Sala de Contratación and the courtyard has very similar characteristics on both sides.

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It consists of a segmental arch (which is a type of very wide arch) surmounted by a larger ogee arch (an arch that ends with a pointed tip). The decorations on the side-posts and lining of the doorway are adorned with whimsical figurines, plant decorations, and leaves chiselled in stone.

Pabellón del Consulado

The Pabellón del Consulado or Consolat del Mar (the Consulate Pavilion or Sea Consulate, in English) was originally designed in Gothic style but was finished in Renaissance classic style. This was due to the long time the construction took.

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The Pavilion was so-called because it once housed the Court of the Consolat del Mar, an ancient Valencian institution created to deal with maritime and mercantile matters. It consists of a basement, ground floor (the Sala del Tribunal is), and upper floor. However, the most striking part of the Pavillion is certainly the first floor, with its Golden Chamber.

The Golden Hall

The Chamber of the Consulate of the Sea is also known as the Golden Chamber. It is called so because of its gilded coffered ceiling.

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The Chapel

This part of the building is closed off for visitors at the time. The tower has a square floor plan and is divided into four floors and a terrace. The entrance is protected by a small iron gate, and its ground floor is occupied by a chapel.

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The chapel, on the lower part of the tower, has a ribbed stellar vault, meaning a vaulted ceiling that creates a star-like shape with its ribs. Some of these symbolic ornaments found here represent the apostles, coats of arms, dragons, fantastic beasts, angels, and devils.

The Tower Staircase

All the other floors of the tower are accessed via the spiral staircase. The circular staircase was a display of architectural mastery and skill by Pere Comte. You will see that the 142 floating steps, seemingly carved out of the surrounding wall, leave the centre of the staircase completely empty, creating a serpentine effect.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Here you can find quick answers to all of your questions. Linked, you’ll find the articles or the sections of the articles that can give you more detailed information.

What is the Lonja de la Seda?

The Lonja de la Seda is Valencia’s Silk Exchange, a Mediaeval trading centre.

What is the Lonja de la Seda known for?

The building is one of the key examples of Valencian Gothic civil construction.

Where is the Lonja de la Seda?

The Lonja de la Seda is located in El Mercat neighbourhood of Valencia’s Old Town, the Ciutat Vella. The building is right in front of the Central Market.

What’s the style of the Lonja de la Seda in Valencia?

The Lonja de la Seda is one of the most important examples of Civil Gothic, and more specifically Valencian Gothic, also known as Mediterranean Gothic.

However, due to the construction of the building taking decades, it also presents some elements of Renaissance style, which followed the Gothic architectural trend.

When was the Lonja de la Seda built?

Construction of the Lonja de la Seda began in 1483 (in full Valencian Golden Age) and ended in 1548.

What is the best way to get to the Lonja de la Seda?

If you are in Ciutat Vella, the best way to reach Valencia’s Silk Exchange is probably to go on foot, or if you prefer, on a bike. If you’d like to know more about transport, you can check out the relevant section of this article.

What are the Lonja de la Seda’s opening times?

The Silk Exchange is open Tuesday to Sunday year-round.

The Lonja opens every day at 10:00 am and closes at 7:00 pm during the week, and at 2:00 pm on Sunday.

You can have a look at the timetable in the relevant section of this article.

How much does it cost to visit the Lonja de la Seda?

A regular ticket to the Lonja normally costs €2.00.

Various discounts (including Valencia Tourist Card discounts) can apply, so have a look at the various ticket options and their prices in the relevant section of this article.

Can I bike to the Lonja de la Seda?

Of course you can. Valencia is an extremely bike friendly city, and on the official map, you’ll see that there are bike paths circling the city’s old quarters. You can also cycle in the city centre and its pedestrian zones, as long as there is enough room for people to walk.

If you’d like to know more about traffic rules and norms in Valencia, you can check out our article about cycling in Valencia.

What buses take me to the Lonja de la Seda?

There are various buses stopping by the Lonja de la Seda in Valencia. They will all drop you off behind the Central Market, which is right in front of the Silk Exchange.

Lines 7, 27, 60, 62, and 73 all drop you off there.

Learn more about Valencia’s bus system.

What metro lines take me to the Lonja de la Seda?

You can take metro lines 1, 2, 3, 5, or 9 to go to Valencia’s Silk Exchange. Depending on where you are located, one or another stop might be more convenient. Your options are Àngel Guimerà (lines 1, 2, 3, 5, and 9), Xàtiva (lines 3, 5, 9), and Colón (lines 3, 5, 7, and 9).

Learn more about Valencia’s metro system.

What tram lines take me to the Lonja de la Seda?

Trams are not your best option to get to the Silk Exchange. The closest stop is line 10’s Alacant, which is 14 minutes away (south) of the Lonja.

Learn more about Valencia’s tram network.

Are there any Valenbisi stations near Lonja de la Seda?

Of course. There are two Valenbisi stations right by the Lonja, and many others not too far away.

Can I drive and park an electric scooter near the Lonja de la Seda?

Generally, you are not allowed to park a rental electric scooter in the Old Town, and the Silk Exchange is right in the middle of it.

You will thus need to park nearby, just outside the no-park zone that you will see on your app’s map.

Nearby Places of Interest

Being in the very heart of the Old Town, the Lonja is rather close to many of Valencia’s landmarks and important buildings.