The Lonja of Yecla - the old meat and fish market converted into an auditorium

The Lonja stands on the site of part of the old grain store in the Plaza Mayor of Yecla

The municipal auditorium of Yecla occupies the building formerly known as the “Lonja”, or fish and meat market, although in its long history it has also served as the town’s grain store and fulfilled various other functions before becoming a venue for exhibitions, concerts and other cultural events.

The first references to buildings standing on the location of the Lonja are mentions of a small church dedicated to the worship of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves, consecrated in 1605, but this was eventually replaced by the “pósito”, or grain store. This was a hugely important building in Spanish towns during the late Medieval and Early Modern periods as it was from here that the supply of grain for baking purposes was regulated, and the building was divided into the business area on the ground floor and the storage area above.

The Pósito was used in Yecla until the second half of the 19^th century, when most of it was demolished to make way for the "Lonja" meat and fish market, which designed by architect Justo Millán Espinosa and built between 1885 and 1887. The same architect was in charge of numerous other projects in the Region of Murcia, including the Teatro Romea in the centre of the city of Murcia.

The Lonja was built using limestone and the façade features columns in the Tuscan style, but in 1960 the Mercado Central de Abastos was built and the building fell into disuse before it was converted into the Auditorio Municipal in 1982. At this stage decorative stuccos were added by José María Párraga, representing bulls, masks, guitars and human faces in figures which are clearly inspired by the works of Picasso.

The Lonja now forms part of an impressive collection of Renaissance and baroque buildings in the Plaza Mayor in the heart of the old town of Yecla, including the Town Hall, the Palacio de los Alarcos and the clock tower.

If visiting Yecla don’t forget to make sure one of your first ports of call is the tourist office (Plaza Mayor, 1, telephone 968 754104, email turismo@yecla.es).

For more local events, news and visiting information go to the home page of Yecla Today.