General Archive of the Indies

Opposite the cathedral stands a building with clean, almost severe lines, a sharp contrast with the exuberant Gothic across the way. This is the former Casa Lonja de Mercaderes, the merchants' exchange, now the General Archive of the Indies.

1Merchants on the steps

In the 16th century, when Seville held the monopoly on trade with the Americas, merchants closed their deals on the cathedral steps, and even inside the church when it rained. The cathedral chapter complained, and under Philip II it was decided to give them a building of their own. It was designed by Juan de Herrera, architect of El Escorial, which explains its restrained classical look. Construction dragged on for decades.

2From exchange to archive

When the American trade moved to Cádiz, the Lonja lost its purpose. In 1785 Charles III decided to gather here the records on the government of Spain's American and Asian territories, then scattered between Simancas, Cádiz and Seville. The project was driven by minister José de Gálvez and historian Juan Bautista Muñoz.

Some 43,000 bundles of documents and thousands of maps and plans: here you will find papers written by Columbus, Magellan, Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro.

In 1987 UNESCO made it a World Heritage Site, together with the cathedral and the Royal Alcázar.

3What to look for

• The balustrade and finials crowning the building, hallmarks of the Herreran style.
• The mix of brick and stone on the façade.
• The cathedral steps just opposite, where business was done before the Lonja existed.