Lonja de Zaragoza, Renaissance exhibition hall in Plaza del Pilar, Zaragoza, Spain
Lonja de Zaragoza is a Renaissance building with a rectangular layout featuring three interior naves topped with star-shaped vaults rising from ringed columns. The exterior displays brick walls in Renaissance style on all sides, and the structure contains a concealed upper floor above the main hall.
Construction took place between 1541 and 1551 under the patronage of Archbishop Hernando de Aragón, with the building serving as the city's main trade center in the 1500s. The upper concealed floor later became a storage space for weapons throughout the 1600s.
The painted portraits on the interior walls show people from different social ranks of Renaissance Zaragoza, from nobility to merchants, revealing who held power and wealth at that time. Walking through the halls, you see how art was used to display social order and respect for commerce.
The building sits in the heart of Plaza del Pilar and is easy to reach on foot, though the plaza often hosts events and crowds. Keep in mind that only the main exhibition hall with the painted walls is open to visitors, while the upper floor remains closed to the public.
The concealed upper floor was long forgotten but later served as the city's weapons store, leaving traces of its military role still visible today. This hidden layer reveals how Renaissance buildings in Zaragoza often had dual purposes that changed over time.
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