La Lonja
The building of Sa Llotja (14th century), the old Maritime Stock Exchange where the Gild of Mariners was based, is an authentic pearl of the Gothic Art in Mallorca. It is one of the architectural masterpieces that you can find on the island. It was built by Guillem Sagrera between 1420 and 1452.
This Mallorcan sculptor, very famous in the 15th century, was asked to build an appropriate place to meet the mariners’ needs. The result was a simple and well-balanced building influenced by the Gothic style on the island.
It is a rectangular building with one single space, which is divided into twelve naves through peculiar columns with no base or capital. The shafts of the pillars rise up to the ceiling shaping the ribs of the vaults.
The exterior preserves its regular appearance, being the facades characterised by rectangular shapes. The ornamentation mainly revolves around the big ogives that decorate the windows.
Moreover, each one of the exterior angles is finished off by orthogonal towers that increase the building’s integrity and unity.
The upper part of the building has a gallery of ogee windows. We can also see this feature on some stately homes located in the historical centre of the city.
Above the portal located in the square that bears the same name, the Guardian Angel, the merchants’ patron saint, dominates the entrance to the building.
When temporary exhibitions are held, the interior is open to the public.
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