Background
Built between 1482 and 1533, this group of buildings was originally used for trading in silk, hence its name, and has always been a centre of commerce. UNESCO calls it a masterpiece of late Gothic, its grandiose Sala de Contratación illustrating the power and wealth of a major Mediterranean mercantile city in the 15th and 16th centuries.
The Llotja is in three parts around a walled orange garden: the Trading Hall with its twisted columns, where merchants drew up contracts; the Pavilion of the Consulate, seat of the Consolat del Mar; and the tower. Wikivoyage places it in the city's 15th-century golden age, alongside the cathedral's Micalet and the Serranos towers, after the Reconquista of 1238.
- 1238Jaume I of Aragon takes Valencia
- 15th c.Valencia's golden age of trade and the arts
- 1482Work begins on the Llotja
- 1533The Silk Exchange is completed
- 1996Inscribed as World Heritage
Find Your Way Around
The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them
- 1Sala de ContrataciónThe trading hall of twisted columns and star vaults.
- 2Consolat del MarThe pavilion of the sea court, with its gilded ceiling.
- 3Orange GardenThe walled courtyard between the wings.
- 4Mercado CentralThe Modernista market hall opposite; the GoGo guide goes straight across.
- 5Cathedral and the MicaletThe Holy Grail chapel and the bell tower, a few streets away.
Know Before You Go
From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides
Old Valencia
From the GoGo Valencia guide · Open the Valencia Guide ›
- 09:30La Lonja de la Seda45 minThe Gothic silk exchange.
- 10:30Mercado Central1 hrThe Modernista market hall.
- 11:45Valencia Cathedral and Micalet1 hrThe Holy Grail and the tower climb.
- 14:00Paella Valenciana90 minReal paella by the beach.
- 18:30Horchata and Fartons45 minTiger-nut milk at Santa Catalina.
Best Time to Visit
Best months: Apr–May, Sep–Oct.
Typical highs
Climate: NASA POWER
Pair It With
Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance
