HOUSE OF SHELLS

The House of Shells (Casa de las Conchas) is one of the most representative buildings in Salamanca and a benchmark of late Gothic civil architecture. Its construction was promoted by Rodrigo Maldonado de Talavera, a prominent figure of his time: city councilor, professor at the University of Salamanca, member of the Royal Council of Castile, chancellor of the Order of Santiago, and ambassador to the Catholic Monarchs. His proximity to the court even allowed him to incorporate the royal coat of arms on the facade of his palace. Furthermore, he was the grandfather of Francisco and Pedro Maldonado, two of the Comuneros leaders, and founder of the Talavera chapel in the cloister of the Old Cathedral.

The origin of the building dates back to 1486, when the cathedral sold Maldonado several houses near the Puerta del Sol. In 1493, he acquired other adjacent dwellings, also capitular property, and the Casa de las Conchas was erected on this set of plots. Shortly after, on the occasion of his son Arias Maldonado's marriage to Juana Pimentel —from the lineage of the Counts of Benavente—, the house was reformed. The incorporation of Renaissance elements and the presence of the shells and Pimentelian emblems on the facade are attributed to this period.

Throughout the centuries, the building has undergone numerous interventions. In 1701, it was necessary to reconstruct the section of the facade on La Rúa street between the two towers. These towers, a symbol of family power, were lowered in 1772 due to collapses and cracks they presented, as reported by architect Gavilán Tomé.

It is significant that, barely completed, the house was designated for rental housing in 1529. Since then, it has had very diverse uses: student prison, museum, academy, and residence of the administrator of the last owner, the Count of Santa Coloma. Later, it housed the Menéndez Pelayo School, active until the 1960s.

Declared a National Monument in 1929, the Casa de las Conchas continued to accumulate transformations. In 1967, the Counts of Santa Coloma ceded it to the City Council through a symbolic 99-year lease for one gold peseta, an agreement that the Ministry of Culture assumed in 1970. After a deep restoration led by Víctor López Cotelo and Carlos Puente, the building reopened in 1993 as a State Public Library and exhibition hall. In 1996–1997, the count transferred ownership to the Junta de Andalucía as payment for taxes, and in 2005, the latter exchanged it with the State for the Bank of Spain building in Granada.

The House of Shells (Casa de las Conchas) is a building where the last echoes of Gothic art coexist with elements announcing the arrival of the Renaissance. Its construction began around 1493, although the architect and masters who participated in the work are unknown.

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

Originally, the building had two towers flanking the facade facing Rúa. Today, only the corner tower remains, which was much taller at the time. 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 nearly three hundred shells decorating the main facade were not part of the original project, but were added after the marriage of Arias Maldonado to Juana Pimentel. They proclaimed the alliance of the Maldonados with one of the most powerful lineages of Castile. 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 from the patio's door, reflects the same aesthetic tastes. The lintel is adorned with dolphins—a Renaissance symbol of love—and on 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.

Alongside the shells, the facade is embellished with the four windows of the noble floor, all different. Two are mullioned, with a marble mainel (mullion), and the other two are cross-mullioned, typical 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 display Maldonado coats of arms supported by lion protomes; and the upper one, with slender marble columns supporting broken segmental arches. In their spandrels appear coats of arms of different family lineages, and the sills alternate basketry motifs 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 retain lintels of Gothic tradition.

The three-flight staircase deserves special mention. On the first flight, a dog holds the Pimentel coat of arms; on the second, a lion carries the Maldonado coat of arms; and on 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.