Las Covachas, Gothic market hall in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain
Las Covachas is a market hall featuring thirteen Gothic pointed arches supported by pillars and decorated with carved stone serpents and basilisks on its facade. The structure forms an open colonnade that once served as the central trading place for the city.
Construction took place in the late 15th century under the orders of the Duke of Medina Sidonia near the city's Sea Gate. The market hall served as a vital trading location in this port settlement.
The market hall shows how medieval merchants in this port city sold their goods and gathered daily to trade. Visitors can still see the stone decorations and openings through which business once happened.
The site sits in the Ribera neighborhood near the Belen slope and is easily reached from the old market district. Visitors should wear flat shoes since the ground is uneven, and the open structure offers less shelter during heavy rain.
The facade was hidden beneath layers of ground fill for centuries until major restoration work in the 1980s uncovered the complete Gothic details. This revealed the fine carved stone serpents and basilisks that originally decorated the structure.
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