On 09 October in 1238, King Jaume I el Conqueridor, aka James I, rode into Valencia after several rounds of battle with the Balansiyya taifa, traditionally marking the part of the reconquista that established the Kingdom of Valencia.
James was an impressive and long-lasting ruler by the standards of his day, eventually encompassing land from Majorca to Languedoc, and it's interesting to consider how part of what we think of as French (and subject to Paris) were for many centuries Aragonese and subject to Valencia and Barcelona.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_I_of_Aragon
The Kingdom of Valencia teamed up with Castile, not always or often willingly, and other sub-sections of Iberia, to become greater Spain, until it was formally dissolved in 1707. Yet, today's Autonomous Community of Valencia is largely the same territory that was under the Kingdom eight centuries ago.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Valencia
The Silk Exchange is part of the standard walking tour of Valencia and if you haven't at least read a little bit about the history of commerce and religion in the area it will just look like a big hall with a fancy inlaid floor. Knowing some background brings it to life.