Point of interest
La Lonja de la Seda
in Valencia, Spain
A masterpiece of civil Valencian Gothic and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the old silk exchange with its forest of spiralling stone columns.
Where it is
In the historic centre on the Plaza del Mercado, opposite the Central Market and the church of the Santos Juanes.
What it is
A masterpiece of civil late Gothic: the columned hall with its twisted, palm-like pillars, the orange-tree courtyard and the Consulate tower are among the most impressive secular Gothic buildings in Europe. A quiet counterpoint to the bustling market next door.
History
The silk exchange was built between 1482 and 1533 as a trading hall, above all for the silk trade that made Valencia one of the wealthiest Mediterranean cities of the late Gothic era. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.