La Llotja de Barcelona (Stock Exchange) is one of the most unknown treasures of Barcelona's civil Gothic. It is a magnificent gothic room (1352-1357) with three naves which can be seen from the large windows of the ground floor of the current building of neoclassical style built in the eighteenth century. Originally, La Llotja was the space where the city's merchants met to make contracts.
From medieval times, the Hall of Contracting stands out, a large room 14 meters high, with columns and arches that support the wooden floors of the upper floor. The shields of the king and the city can be seen on the spandrels of the arches, since the construction of the Llotja de Barcelona was promoted by Pedro IV of Aragón and the Council of One Hundred. The modern building is the most important work of neoclassicism in Barcelona. It stands out in the treatment of the facades, the patio and the splendid staircase. The courtyard and the staircase are decorated with various sculptures, such as the Fountain of Neptune, by Nicolau Travé. In the corners of the patio the niches contain allegories of continents: Europe, Asia, Africa and America; and, at the foot of the staircase, you can see two allegories of Commerce and Industry.
Until 1970 La Llotja housed the School of Fine Arts where Picasso and Miró studied. Now used as government offices. It is currently the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce of Barcelona and the Reial Acadèmia Catalana de Belles Arts de Sant Jordi which has an important art collection that can be visited for free from Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Visit the Llotja of Barcelona
You can visit the interior of the building that houses the Llotja by booking a guided tour.
Where is it?
How to get there
Metro: L4 Barceloneta
Bus: 39, 45, 51, 59, 64, 120, H14, D20, V15, V17 and Tourist Bus (red route, bus stop Pla de Palau - Parc de la Ciutadella)
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