Casa de las Conchas

On the corner of Rúa Mayor and Calle de la Compañía, opposite the Clerecía, stands the palace built in the late 15th century by Dr Rodrigo Arias Maldonado, knight and chancellor of the Order of Santiago. That is why the façade is covered in shells, the symbol of the order: Turespaña counts more than three hundred. Castilla y León Tourism presents it as the most representative civil monument of the time of the Catholic Monarchs, with a mix of Gothic, Mudéjar details and an Italian air.

What to look at on the façade

Look first at the ground-floor windows: their Gothic wrought-iron grilles are among the finest in Spain. Above, the windows have Gothic arches and finials that differ from one another. Over the door there is a coat of arms with fleurs-de-lis. The highest part of the wall has no shells: in the 18th century cracks appeared and it was rebuilt, and from the street the change can be seen.

Inside it has a two-storey courtyard with mixtilinear arches, the only space worth seeing besides the façade. You cross the entrance hall and see it in five minutes.

Hours and admission

Today it is Salamanca's Public Library, so admission is free and there is no ticket office or booking. The official Castilla y León Tourism listing publishes timetables by season that include afternoons and some Sundays, whereas the 2026 guides give Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 21:00 and Saturday mornings, closed on Sundays and public holidays and mornings only in summer. As the sources do not agree, if you want to see the courtyard call beforehand on 923 269 317. The façade can be seen from the street at any hour. Go in quietly: there are people studying inside, and library activities are sometimes held in the courtyard.

How to fit it into the visit

It is at Calle Compañía 2, on the axis that links the Plaza Mayor with the cathedrals: from the square you go down Rúa Mayor and arrive in about five minutes. Opposite is the Clerecía, and two streets away the Patio de Escuelas with the façade of the University. It is a short stop, of twenty minutes, that works well with children because they can look for shells and count coats of arms while the adults look at the grilles. The centre is pedestrianised: leave the car in a public car park and walk.