Saaihalle, Medieval wool trading hall in Bruges, Belgium
Saaihalle is a medieval trading building in Bruges featuring Gothic architectural style with a distinctive gabled roof and intricate brick patterns on its walls. The structure occupies a central position on the historic square where textile merchants once conducted their business.
Construction took place between 1365 and 1420, transforming the space into a center for wool merchants during Bruges' peak as a trading power. The building's development reflects the era when textile commerce generated enormous wealth for the city.
The building shows how important the cloth trade was to medieval Bruges and how merchants from across Europe came here to do business together. Its presence in the city center reflects the wealth that this trade brought to the entire region.
The building sits in central Bruges next to City Hall and is easily walkable from most historical landmarks in the area. Its location on the main square makes it straightforward to find and a natural point to start exploring the medieval old town.
The building displays a dated inscription on its facade marking its construction period, making it one of the oldest documented medieval structures in the city. This visible record still exists today and speaks to the care medieval builders took in recording their work.
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