Casa de Las Conchas
25 minutes
Its founder was Doctor Rodríguez Arias, and its ornamental motif consists of scallop shells, a symbol of the Order of Santiago, of which the founder was chancellor. The windows on the upper floors are adorned with pediments of varied Gothic archways, while those on the lower floors display some of Spain's finest examples of Gothic ironwork.
Read More
Free visit price
- Individual - 0.00 €
Style and Chronology
Late Gothic style blends with the new trends of Renaissance Plateresque. Its construction began around 1493 and concluded in 1517. Around 1701, the house was repaired and expanded, giving rise to the façade that faces La Rúa. It later served as the "cárcel del estudio," meaning the University's prison. In 1929, it was declared a National Monument. In 1967, it was ceded to the Salamanca City Council through a lease agreement for a symbolic value of one gold peseta per year for ninety-nine years by Enrique de Queralt y Gil Delgado, Count of Santa Coloma. In 1970, the Ministry of Culture assumed the agreement and continued the lease. Since 1993, after extensive restoration, it has housed a State Public Library. In 1997, its owner, the Count of Santa Coloma, Enrique de Queralt y Chávarri, handed the property over to the Junta de Andalucía as tax payment. In 2005, the Junta de Andalucía exchanged it for another building with the State, its current owner.
Historical Facts
Casa de las Conchas by Francisco Javier Parcerisa (Recuerdos y bellezas de España)
The Casa de las Conchas is an urban palace representative of the new courtly nobility of the 16th century. The building was commissioned by Rodrigo Maldonado de Talavera, a Knight of the Order of Santiago, Professor of Law at the University (of which he was rector), and a member of the Royal Council of Castile. Under his patronage, the Talavera chapel was also built in the cloister of the Old Cathedral.
Shortly after Rodrigo's death, his son, Rodrigo Arias Maldonado, completed the works that same year. That same year, he also married Juana de Pimentel, a niece of the Duke of Benavente, and they were the parents of Pedro Maldonado Pimentel, a Comunero leader.
Detail of the façade's shells
A time of great political and social changes, the era of the Catholic Monarchs saw the definitive consolidation of the monarchy, bringing an end to the power struggles. A courtly nobility emerged which, in exchange for their submission, integrated into the state apparatus and received important social and economic privileges. Their contacts with Italy led them to embrace Renaissance influences, which translated into a taste for art and aesthetics.
The end of noble conflicts and the definitive defeat of the Muslims ushered in a period of peace. Cities became safe havens, and the nobility abandoned their rural castles to return to the urban sphere. This led to a resurgence of the city, with the construction of civil buildings multiplying, among which the urban palace stood out. The urban palace became a symbol of noble power. Within it, one can observe reminiscences of the old medieval castle: tall towers, proudly rising above the city's other buildings, and a cresting that would evoke battlements. The exterior and interior walls were filled with the coats of arms and symbols of the palace's lord, who, proud of his status, displayed them to the rest of the citizens.
Salamanca would not be left out of this "rebirth," which was reflected in an intellectual awakening and architectural expansion, of which the Casa de las Conchas is one example.
Late Gothic style blends with the new trends of Renaissance Plateresque. Its construction began around 1493 and concluded in 1517. Around 1701, the house was repaired and expanded, giving rise to the façade that faces La Rúa. It later served as the "cárcel del estudio," meaning the University's prison. In 1929, it was declared a National Monument. In 1967, it was ceded to the Salamanca City Council through a lease agreement for a symbolic value of one gold peseta per year for ninety-nine years by Enrique de Queralt y Gil Delgado, Count of Santa Coloma. In 1970, the Ministry of Culture assumed the agreement and continued the lease. Since 1993, after extensive restoration, it has housed a State Public Library. In 1997, its owner, the Count of Santa Coloma, Enrique de Queralt y Chávarri, handed the property over to the Junta de Andalucía as tax payment. In 2005, the Junta de Andalucía exchanged it for another building with the State, its current owner.
Historical Facts
Casa de las Conchas by Francisco Javier Parcerisa (Recuerdos y bellezas de España)
The Casa de las Conchas is an urban palace representative of the new courtly nobility of the 16th century. The building was commissioned by Rodrigo Maldonado de Talavera, a Knight of the Order of Santiago, Professor of Law at the University (of which he was rector), and a member of the Royal Council of Castile. Under his patronage, the Talavera chapel was also built in the cloister of the Old Cathedral.
Shortly after Rodrigo's death, his son, Rodrigo Arias Maldonado, completed the works that same year. That same year, he also married Juana de Pimentel, a niece of the Duke of Benavente, and they were the parents of Pedro Maldonado Pimentel, a Comunero leader.
Detail of the façade's shells
A time of great political and social changes, the era of the Catholic Monarchs saw the definitive consolidation of the monarchy, bringing an end to the power struggles. A courtly nobility emerged which, in exchange for their submission, integrated into the state apparatus and received important social and economic privileges. Their contacts with Italy led them to embrace Renaissance influences, which translated into a taste for art and aesthetics.
The end of noble conflicts and the definitive defeat of the Muslims ushered in a period of peace. Cities became safe havens, and the nobility abandoned their rural castles to return to the urban sphere. This led to a resurgence of the city, with the construction of civil buildings multiplying, among which the urban palace stood out. The urban palace became a symbol of noble power. Within it, one can observe reminiscences of the old medieval castle: tall towers, proudly rising above the city's other buildings, and a cresting that would evoke battlements. The exterior and interior walls were filled with the coats of arms and symbols of the palace's lord, who, proud of his status, displayed them to the rest of the citizens.
Salamanca would not be left out of this "rebirth," which was reflected in an intellectual awakening and architectural expansion, of which the Casa de las Conchas is one example.
A Love Poem.
This is one of Salamanca's most popular palaces and one of the finest examples of Spanish civil Gothic architecture. It was built in the last years of the 15th century and early 16th century by Don Rodrigo Arias Maldonado, who was close to the Catholic Monarchs and a Knight of the Order of Santiago. The scallop shells are the main ornamental motif on the façade.
Perhaps one of the most debated points is why scallop shells were chosen as an ornamental element. Some authors see it as a display of pride by the Maldonados for belonging to the Order of Santiago. Other authors, undoubtedly more romantic, suggest that the repetition of the shells, a noble symbol of the Pimentel family, was a demonstration of the love Don Rodrigo felt for his wife Doña María.
The house's cellars later became a place where University students served sentences imposed by the Maestre-Escuela.
Currently, this space houses a public library and exhibition hall.
This is one of Salamanca's most popular palaces and one of the finest examples of Spanish civil Gothic architecture. It was built in the last years of the 15th century and early 16th century by Don Rodrigo Arias Maldonado, who was close to the Catholic Monarchs and a Knight of the Order of Santiago. The scallop shells are the main ornamental motif on the façade.
Perhaps one of the most debated points is why scallop shells were chosen as an ornamental element. Some authors see it as a display of pride by the Maldonados for belonging to the Order of Santiago. Other authors, undoubtedly more romantic, suggest that the repetition of the shells, a noble symbol of the Pimentel family, was a demonstration of the love Don Rodrigo felt for his wife Doña María.
The house's cellars later became a place where University students served sentences imposed by the Maestre-Escuela.
Currently, this space houses a public library and exhibition hall.