Silk Exchange of Valencia

About this place

This late Gothic commercial building recalls Valencia's importance as a trading city. Its architectural grandeur shows that merchants, as well as monarchs and religious institutions, could commission impressive monuments. Look at the ceremonial treatment of business space and the craftsmanship of the stonework. Its importance lies partly in being a secular Gothic monument: architecture of this ambition was not reserved for cathedrals. The exchange gives visitors a way to think about the people and institutions behind Mediterranean trade. Looking at its public grandeur helps make the city's commercial past tangible in the old town.