Casa de Las Conchas (House of Shells)

Casa de Las Conchas (House of Shells) Review

This house was built around 1500 for Dr. Rodrigo Maldonado de Talavera, a professor of medicine at the university and a doctor at the court of Isabella. The scallop motif was a reference to Talavera's status as chancellor of the Order of St. James (Santiago), the symbol of which is the shell (the shell symbol is also worn by hikers and pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela). Among the playful plateresque details are the lions over the main entrance, engaged in a fearful tug-of-war with the Talavera crest. The interior has been converted into a public library. Duck into the charming courtyard, which has an intricately carved upper balustrade that imitates basketwork.