Valencia · Spain
La Lonja de la Seda (Silk Exchange)
A practical guide to La Lonja de la Seda in Valencia: hours and the Monday confusion, price, what to look for in the hall of twisted columns and how much time to give it.
Yes: for €2 you see the best Gothic civic building in Spain. It's small, so arrive knowing what to look for and give it half an hour.
La Lonja de la Seda is Valencia’s old commodities exchange, from when the city was the richest port on the Iberian Peninsula. Silk contracts, bills of exchange and ship insurance were signed here. Today it’s an almost empty building with a single hall that justifies the trip: twisted stone columns that rise 17 meters and open into a star vault.
Our experience
We almost missed it. The original plan for Monday, May 25, had us rushing to catch it on Sunday hours, because that day had been written up by mistake as if it were a Sunday. When we noticed, we saw that sources disagree about Mondays, so that day we only saw it from the outside, from Plaza del Mercado.
And the plan for Tuesday, written as if it were a Monday, had it marked as closed. We fixed it in time: on Tuesdays it’s open 10:00 to 19:00. We went in at 11:55, right after the Central Market across the street, and gave it the half hour we had left before the taxi to La Pepica. We paid the €2 and went straight to the hall of columns.
A bit of history
In 1482 the City Council ordered a new exchange, because the old one could no longer keep up with the silk trade. The master builder was Pere Compte, who finished the trading hall in just fifteen years, from 1483 to 1498. The rest of the complex, with the Torreón, the Consulado del Mar and the orange tree courtyard, was completed around 1548.
The Torreón had a chapel on the ground floor and, on the upper floors, a jail for merchants who didn’t pay their debts, right above the hall where they had done business. The Consulado del Mar, the maritime court that had existed in Valencia since 1283, also operated upstairs.
When Mediterranean trade declined in the 17th century, the building was used as a granary and a market. It survived without major demolitions, and UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 1996.
How it fits into your day
La Lonja, the Central Market and the church of los Santos Juanes are on the same square, and the cathedral is eight minutes away. That’s how we fit it into our big day in Valencia.
What to see, in order
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The helical columns
In the trading hall, eight freestanding columns that look like braided rope, plus sixteen set against the walls. Walk slowly around one: the spiral reads as several strands twisted together.
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The vault
Stand next to the central column and look up. The ribs open like palm fronds and form stars 17 meters up. It's the classic photo.
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The cornice inscription
Gold letters on a dark band, eleven meters off the ground. In Latin, it tells merchants that no profit is better than one made without fraud. Almost nobody reads it.
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The Torreón staircase
A stone spiral staircase with no central column. Look up to see the keystone with the Virgin of Mercy.
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The ceiling of the Consulado del Mar
A gilded coffered ceiling from 1418–1458 with saints, musicians and coats of arms. It was made for the old Casa de la Ciudad and came here in 1920–1921, after that building had been demolished.
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The Orange Tree Courtyard
A small courtyard with bitter orange trees and a bench running around it. It's the quietest corner of the complex.
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The facade
On your way out, look at the frames of the upper windows: medallions, gargoyles and fantastical figures. The best full view is from the other side of Plaza del Mercado, in afternoon light.
Tips we wish we’d known
Tips
- On Mondays, sources disagree: the official tourism website says it's open and others say it's closed. If Monday is your only day, confirm that morning. Tuesday to Saturday it's open 10:00 to 19:00 (last entry 18:30) and Sundays 10:00 to 14:00.
- The audio guide costs €2–3 and is worth it the first time. If you don't want it, the free leaflet from the ticket office covers the basics.
- There are no restrooms inside. The closest are at the Central Market, when it's open.
- Photos without flash and without a tripod. For the columns, your phone's wide-angle lens works really well.
Do
- Combine it with the Central Market, which is right across the street: the two together take about 70 minutes.
- Go up the spiral staircase even if you're in a hurry.
- Wear your backpack in front in the entrance line, especially on Sundays.
Don’t
- Don't hire the "guides" with laminated badges at the door: there's no priority access, and the audio guide is better and cheaper.
- Don't let the photographer at the entrance take your picture under the columns: afterward they charge you €10–20.
- Don't sit down to eat at the terraces on the square with tourist menus; the market counters are better and cheaper.
Frequently asked questions
How much time do you need to see La Lonja de la Seda?
Between 30 and 40 minutes for the trading hall, the staircase, the Consulado del Mar and the courtyard. With the audio guide, close to an hour.
Is La Lonja open on Mondays?
Sources disagree: the official tourism website lists it as open Monday to Saturday and others say it's closed on Mondays. Tuesday to Saturday it's definitely open 10:00 to 19:00.
How much is the ticket?
€2 general and €1 reduced. It's free on Sundays and public holidays, for under-12s and with the Valencia Tourist Card.
Do you have to buy tickets in advance?
No. You pay at the door and there's no such thing as a skip-the-line ticket; the line moves fast because they limit capacity.