House of the Shells

The Casa de las Conchas (House of the Shells) is undoubtedly one of the most symbolic places in Montoro. It is a traditional Montoro house facing a small square, but instead of whitewashed all of its walls, it contains exuberant decorative motifs made of mollusk and bivalve shells. Both its outside façade and its inside rooms, including several typical Andalusian patios facing the Guadalquivir River, are decorated entirely with shells creating really complex baseboards.

Built on the initiative of Francisco del Río Cuenca in 1960, the Montoro Casa de las Conchas is much more than that; it is a reflection of a socio-political context at local and regional level, that of the post-war period and the emigration of hundreds of people from Montoro to work in the coastal towns of Catalonia and the Valencian Community. It was a tradition, upon returning to the family home, to bring bags of shells for Francisco del Río to continue with the decoration of his peculiar home. Today it is still a living legacy, for all visitors and montoreños.