The outstanding Aragonese ephemeris of the day recalls that today, November 15, but in 1551, the official inauguration of Zaragoza’s Lonja de mercaderes, a jewel of Aragonese Renaissance architecture, took place. A few days earlier, on November 1, work on the Zaragoza Lonja had been completed, a another architectural example that led 16th century travelers to call the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon “the Florence of Spain” or “Zaragoza la harta”.
The city also had the Seo, which had been enlarged in those years, or the famous Torre Nueva, a civil building in the Mudejar style erected at the beginning of that century. At the end of the Middle Ages the lonjas became popular in the different capitals of the territories of the Crown of Aragon. to carry out commercial activities of great importance. This led to the construction of those in Barcelona, Valencia and Palma de Mallorca, which, in addition to being coastal areas, were very much oriented towards maritime trade.
As for the Kingdom of Aragon and its most important economic capital, Zaragoza, these commercial dealings were more linked to agricultural trade. However, until the middle of the 16th century there was no specific space for this type of activity. It was at that time that Hernando de Aragón, archbishop of Zaragoza, together with the city council, promoted the project for the construction of a large civil building dedicated to these activities.. The design and construction of the Lonja was awarded to the master builder Juan de Sariñena, work began in 1541 and was completed in 1551.
WHAT IS AN EPHEMERIS?
An ephemeris is an important date or event that is celebrated or remembered on a certain date of the year. These are usually anniversaries of historical events, important discoveries, birthdays of famous people, religious dates, or commemorations of national events.
Ephemerides can be commemorative, educational, or simply informative. Some ephemeris are of global importance, while others may be more locally or regionally relevant. Ephemerides are an important way to remember our past and reflect on its significance for the present and future.
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