Casa de las Conchas

This late-fifteenth-century mansion in Salamanca is instantly recognisable for the more than three hundred carved stone scallop shells that stud its facade, emblems of the Order of Santiago to which its builder belonged. Combining Gothic and early Renaissance elements, it also boasts a graceful two-storey courtyard, elaborate window grilles and coats of arms. Now serving as a public library, the building can be freely entered to admire the arcaded patio and carved staircase. The shell motif has made it a much-photographed landmark.