○ Unique Houses
The Llotja de Mar
Passeig d’Isabel II, 1 08003 – Barcelona
The Llotja de Mar is one of Barcelona’s most iconic buildings. Built in the Middle Ages, it served as the headquarters of the Consulate of the Sea until the 18th century, when it became the seat of the Royal Special Board of Commerce; since 1886, it has housed the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Navigation.
History
The Llotja consists of a complex of interconnected buildings. The 14th-century Gothic core, comprising the Trading Hall, the Orange Tree Courtyard, and the Consuls’ Hall, is the ultimate expression of Barcelona’s merchant class. Barcelona was one of the leading cities in Mediterranean trade, and during the 14th and 15th centuries, the Llotja experienced a period of splendor. It was also the building chosen for the main celebrations of the Consulate of the Sea and the Council of One Hundred.
In the 17th century, the building underwent a gradual decline, parallel to that of the merchant class itself. The outbreak of the War of Succession and the Nueva Planta Decree, enacted in 1716, led to the occupation of the Llotja. In the 18th century, a period of economic growth began for the city, and the Royal Particular Board of Commerce, which defended the interests of merchants, reestablished itself in the Llotja building.
By 1771, the Board had regained full control of the building and decided to expand it and adapt it to new space requirements and aspirations for prestige. The work took a considerable amount of time, and the building was inaugurated in 1802 with its current appearance.
The dissolution of the Board of Trade in 1847 led to the gradual deterioration of the Llotja de Mar, until the establishment of the Official Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Navigation of Barcelona in 1886. One of the new institution’s first actions was to request a suitable space within the Llotja building to house its offices. As the various entities that had their headquarters in the Llotja gradually disappeared, the Chamber of Commerce took over the spaces. It has been the Chamber of Commerce that has been responsible for progressively maintaining and decorating the building.
What will we visit?
The tour of the Llotja de Mar allows us to learn about the building’s origins through the Contracting Hall and the courtyard, the original medieval core. We will continue to the first floor, where we can admire the halls added during the renovation initiated by the Board of Trade: the Golden Hall, the Hall of the Tribunal of the Consulate of the Sea, and the Lucrecia Hall.