Casa de las Conchas: The House of Shells

Casa de las Conchas, or the House of Shells, is a curious attraction in Salamanca, Spain. This stately mansion built between the late 15th and early 16th centuries has a façade covered with carvings of scallop shells, the symbol of the military Order of Santiago of which its first owner, Talavera Maldonado, was chancellor.

Construction of the house began in 1493, but Maldonado didn’t live to see its completion. After his death, the house was completed by his son Rodrigo Arias Maldonado in 1517.

Casa de las Conchas

Photo: Daniel Vine Photography/Shutterstock.com

The most peculiar feature of the house is the façade, which is a mixture of Gothic, Renaissance and Mudejar elements, decorated with more than 300 shells, the symbol of the order of Santiago, as well as of the pilgrims performing the Way of St. James. In the façade are also the coat of arms of the Catholic Monarchs and four windows in Gothic style, each one having a different shape. The entrance portal has the coat of arms of the Maldonado family, while in the architrave are dolphins, a Renaissance symbol of love, and vegetable elements.

The tower, which once stood majestically over the rest of the city, as a symbol of power of the nobleman was demolished to one-third its original height for precisely this reason. The house encloses a spacious courtyard in the middle. The balconies facing this courtyard are fitted with windowsills decorated with honeycomb and basketwork motifs—a clear example of Islamic influence. The roof is topped by a cresting formed by fleurs-de-lis accompanied by gargoyles. In the center of the courtyard is a well that, in its time, guaranteed the supply of drinking water.

Casa de las Conchas

Photo: Alberto Novo/Shutterstock.com

An enduring legend of Casa de las Conchas is that there is a gold coin (or an ounce of gold, according to some sources) hidden underneath each shell. Another widespread legend is that the family that owned the building hid their jewels under one of these shells that adorn the façade, documenting the amount hidden but not the shell where it was located, and whoever wants to find the treasure must provide the amount stipulated as a guarantee in advance. If they find the treasure, they can take it and get their contribution back, otherwise they lose the money left in pledge.

The last family to inhabit the Casa de las Conchas was the administrator of the Count of Santa Coloma. Later it became the headquarters of the Menéndez Pelayo College, which operated until the 1960s. The count of Santa Coloma, owner of the house, gave it to the city council as a lease in 1967, for a symbolic value of one gold peseta, for 99 years. Today, the Casa de las Conchas houses a public library.

Casa de las Conchas