La Lonja de la Seda
Gothic merchants' exchange begun in 1483 by Pere Compte, UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996, with its distinctive spiral-columned hall.
- Opening hours
- Mon-Sat 10:00–19:00 · Sun and public holidays 10:00–14:00 · Last entry 30 minutes before closing
- Where
-
Plaça del Mercat, s/n, 46001 València
Valencia
See it on the map ↗ Get directions ↗
What you will see
La Lonja is one of the masterpieces of civil Gothic architecture and UNESCO declared it a World Heritage site in 1996. Construction began in 1483 under the direction of master builder Pere Compte and consists of three sections, clearly visible from plaza del Mercado: the trading hall, the central tower and the Consolat del Mar.
The Columned Hall, or Trading Hall, is a large space of three naves separated by spiral columns. It was designed as a temple to commerce: the columns have been read as trees of paradise and the vaults as the sky. The municipality installed the taula de canvis here for the banking operations of the era. The tower has a ground floor and two storeys that were used as a prison for merchants in bankruptcy.
The Consolat del Mar was begun in 1498, also under Pere Compte, who died before its completion; the work ended in 1548. At the top of the façade is a gallery of arches and forty Renaissance medallions with busts of Roman emperors and illustrious figures. Inside, in the Consulado del Mar hall, is the wooden ceiling of the Sala Dorada: a carved, painted and gilded wood ceiling commissioned in 1418 for the former Casa de la Ciudad, dismantled in 1859 and installed here in the 1920s.
How much it costs
General admission for those over 16 costs €2.00. Students, those over 65, pensioners, Carnet Joven cardholders and large or single-parent families pay €1.00. Children under 16 with an adult, unemployed people and people with disabilities enter free. Guided tours of the tower are free, last around 40 minutes and must be booked by telephone or email.
Opening hours
Monday to Saturday, 10:00–19:00; Sundays and public holidays, 10:00–14:00. Last entry 30 minutes before closing. Closed 1 and 6 January, 1 May and 25 December.
How to get there
It is on plaza del Mercado. To see the façade medallions clearly, cross to the opposite side of the square, next to the church of los Santos Juanes.
Worth a visit if…
…you are interested in architecture: for €2.00 you enter one of the masterpieces of civil Gothic. Note that until the end of 2026 there will be scaffolding on the upper floor of the Consolado del Mar for preliminary studies before restoration of the gilded ceiling.
