Llotja de la Seda, Gothic civil building in Plaza del Mercado, Valencia, Spain
Llotja de la Seda is a Gothic civil building on Plaza del Mercado in Valencia, Spain. The Trading Hall measures roughly 36 meters wide and 21 meters long, with its eight slender stone columns meeting in spiral vaults that divide the space into three longitudinal naves and five transversal sections.
Construction began in 1483 under architect Pere Compte, replacing an earlier oil trading site from the 14th century. Completion came in the first decades of the 16th century, marking the height of Valencia's economic power in the Mediterranean.
The columns in the Trading Hall carry carved medallions at their bases showing scenes from daily life and religious motifs. Above the windows runs a Latin inscription urging merchants toward honesty and praising trade as work pleasing to God.
The entrance door stands at the corner of Plaza del Mercado, directly opposite the central market building. The main hall is accessible at ground level, while the upper floor requires climbing a stone staircase.
Below the main hall lay a prison for merchants unable to pay their debts, who remained there until settling their accounts. In one corner of the building stands a small chapel dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, which served as a place of devotion for traders.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
