International fairs

Medina del Campo was something like the Wall Street of the 16th Century thanks to its fairs which were only comparable to those held in Lyon and Antwerp. Its international fame is linked to its “Payment Fairs”, in which negotiations were undertaken with the new accounting techniques, causing the use of different types of accounting books, bills of exchange, and other modern financial resources to spread.

The Fair Museum Foundation manages the Simón Ruiz Archives, one of the most important document sources for understanding the social changes that took place in the second half of the 16th Century. Noteworthy here is the majestic piece in alabaster of Friar Lope de Barrientos, done by the Flemish artist Egas Cueman. This is the oldest praying sculpture of its kind in all of Europe (middle of the 15th Century).

For more information visit the website of The Fair Museum http://www.museoferias.net/