HOUSE OF SHELLS

The Casa de las Conchas is one of Salamanca's most emblematic buildings and a fundamental piece of late Gothic civil architecture. Its construction was promoted by Rodrigo Maldonado de Talavera, a figure of great relevance in his time: city councilor, professor at the University of Salamanca, member of the Royal Council of Castile, and ambassador for the Catholic Monarchs. His close relationship with the court explains the presence of the monarchs' coat of arms on the upper part of the facade. Furthermore, he was the grandfather of the comuneros Francisco and Pedro Maldonado and founder of the Talavera chapel, located in the cloister of the Old Cathedral.

The origin of the building dates back to 1486, when Maldonado acquired several houses from the cathedral chapter upon which the Casa de las Conchas was erected. Shortly after, on the occasion of his son Arias Maldonado's marriage to Juana Pimentel—a member of the lineage of the Counts of Benavente—the property underwent a significant renovation. To this period are associated both the incorporation of Renaissance elements and the characteristic shell decoration, emblem of the Pimentel family, which today defines its facade.

It is striking that shortly after its completion, the house began to be rented out. Since then, it has had very diverse uses: student prison, museum, academy, or residence of the administrator of the last owner, the Count of Santa Coloma.

Throughout the centuries, the building has undergone various transformations. In 1701, the facade section of Rúa Street between the two towers was reconstructed. Subsequently, as stated in a 1772 report by architect Gavilán Tomé, the towers were lowered due to structural problems.

In 1967, the Counts of Santa Coloma ceded it to the City Council for 99 years for the symbolic price of one gold peseta, an agreement that the Ministry of Culture would assume in 1970. After a deep restoration, directed by architects Víctor López Cotelo and Carlos Puente, the building reopened in 1993 as a State Public Library and exhibition hall. Years later, between 1996 and 1997, the property passed to the Junta de Andalucía as payment of taxes and, in 2005, it was exchanged with the State for the Bank of Spain building in Granada.

The Casa de las Conchas is a building where the last echoes of the Gothic period coexist with elements announcing the arrival of the Renaissance. Its construction began around 1493, although the architect and masters involved in the work are unknown.

The most characteristic feature of the palace is its main facade, decorated with almost three hundred shells and an abundant heraldic presence: 153 coats of arms have been identified, distributed across the facades, windows, grilles, and, very notably, the courtyard.

Originally, the building had two towers flanking the facade facing Rúa street. Today, only the corner tower remains, which at the time was much taller. Both showed collapses and cracks, so in 1772, 23 courses of the corner tower were lowered, and the other was practically demolished.

According to all indications, the almost three hundred shells that decorate the main facade were not part of the original project but were added after the marriage of Arias Maldonado to Juana Pimentel. With them, the alliance of the Maldonados with one of the most powerful lineages of Castile was proclaimed. The originality of the ensemble lies not only in the motif but also in its quincunx arrangement, following the Mudejar tradition of rhombus decoration.

The access door, off-center with respect to the patio's door, reflects the same aesthetic tastes. The lintel is adorned with dolphins—a Renaissance symbol of love—and in the tympanum, under a mixtilinear arch, the Maldonado coat of arms stands out between lions, accompanied by a helmet, scepter, and a phylactery with the inscription Ave María.

Next to the shells, the facade is embellished with the four windows of the noble floor, all different. Two are mullioned, with a marble mullion, and the other two are cross-mullioned, characteristic of Central European Gothic. All are closed with mixtilinear arches and feature richly decorated sills, both Gothic and Renaissance, where the Maldonado-Pimentel emblems were also carved.

The grilles of the mezzanine are considered authentic masterpieces of late Gothic ironwork. Attributed to Fray Francisco de Salamanca, they combine smooth and twisted bars, mixtilinear arches, foliage, turrets, and escutcheons with the Maldonado emblem. The grille of the keep stands out, formed by three semicircular turrets decorated with shells and coats of arms. The other grille features a frieze with the Latin inscription Ave Maria gratia plena Dominus Tecum benedicta tu in…

Inside, the patio with its mixtilinear arches, the staircase, and the coffered ceiling are particularly noteworthy. The atrium consists of two galleries: the lower one, with mixtilinear arches on pillars whose spandrels show Maldonado coats of arms supported by lion protomes; and the upper one, with slender marble columns supporting broken ogee arches. In their spandrels appear coats of arms of different family lineages, and in the parapets, basketry motifs alternate with others evoking a beehive. The ensemble is topped with a cresting of fleurs-de-lis and adorned with gargoyles representing fantastic beings. Several windows overlooking the patio preserve lintels of Gothic tradition.

The staircase, with three flights, deserves special mention. In the first, a dog holds the Pimentel coat of arms; in the second, a lion carries the Maldonado coat of arms; and in the third, the union of both lineages is represented. The coffered ceiling covering the staircase is made up of polychrome Renaissance coffers in white, blue, and gold.

From the upper gallery, one can enjoy one of the most beautiful and surprising views of Salamanca: the towers and the bell gable of the Church of La Clerecía, where the scene of Pentecost is depicted, recalling the temple's original dedication to the Holy Spirit.