Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Ñaño house with mausoleum skull in foreground.
Ñaño Casa Museo
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
The salt cairn.
The Lewis and Clark Salt Works
South entrance.
Reigate Tunnel
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
8 days ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
8 days ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
8 days ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
8 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Italy Rimini House of the Shells

House of the Shells

One Italian taxi driver covered his entire house in small seashells creating a weird bit of architecture that is preserved to this day.

Rimini, Italy

Added By
joel
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The House of Shells exterior   leiris / Atlas Obscura User
The House of Shells exterior   leiris / Atlas Obscura User
A close up view of the colored cement used to attach the shells to the house   leiris / Atlas Obscura User
The House of Shells exterior   leiris / Atlas Obscura User
The House of Shells exterior   leiris / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Alfonso Rinaldi was a taxi driver by trade, but that was not where his true heart lived. Alfonso was an artist.

His seaside home in the Italian village of Rimini is a testament to his creative vision. Using a colored concrete and an assortment of mosaic designs, Rinaldi adorned the entire exterior of his home with over 12,000 shells. Unsatisfied with just the house, he also covered the fence, his flower pots, really anything that was outside, with a surface covering of treasures from the sea.

The shells were collected slowly at first, but soon local fishermen and eateries began to supply him with his medium of choice; scallops, mussels, and clams all gave up their shells to become part of this architectural anomaly, symbolizing the resort village's largest industry. When Rinaldi died, his daughter inherited the house of shells, and after conferring with local authorities, it was decided that the house would be preserved in its shell-covered glory, to be enjoyed for years to come.

Rinaldi's House of Shells is not the only one of it's kind. In Spain, there is Casa de las Conchas, and in France, le Jardin Coquillage, which is more of a "found item" decor that includes shells. In the Spanish village of A Toxa, a 12th century church is adorned in shellwork, and in England, an elaborate shell mosaic covers a grotto in Margate. While Rinaldi may not have been the only artist to use shells as his medium and a building as his canvas, his modest shell house still delights locals and tourists alike.

Related Tags

Shells Outsider Art Places To Stay
Atlas Obscura Adventures

Flavors of Italy: Roman Carbonara, Florentine Steak & Venetian Cocktails

Savor local cuisine across Rome, Florence & Venice.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

leiris

Edited By

Rachel

  • Rachel

Published

December 7, 2015

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.spacesarchives.org/explore/collection/environment/alfonso-rinaldi-casa-delle-conchiglie-house-of-shells/
  • http://www.costruttoridibabele.net/rinaldi.html
House of the Shells
40 Via del Fante
Rimini, 47921
Italy
44.071579, 12.565757
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Ponte di Tiberio (Bridge of Tiberius)

Rimini, Italy

miles away

Biblioteca Civica Gambalunga

Rimini, Italy

miles away

Italia in Miniatura

Rimini, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Rimini

Rimini

Italy

Places 3

Nearby Places

Ponte di Tiberio (Bridge of Tiberius)

Rimini, Italy

miles away

Biblioteca Civica Gambalunga

Rimini, Italy

miles away

Italia in Miniatura

Rimini, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Rimini

Rimini

Italy

Places 3

Related Places

  • Restored “kissing booth” truck.

    Qualicum Beach, British Columbia

    Folk Art Farms

    An eclectic retreat speckled with whimsical folk art.

  • The entrance to the sanctuary.

    Goshen, Massachusetts

    Three Sisters Sanctuary

    A stunning garden filled with fantastical environmental folk art and sculptures.

  • Conch-shell terrace walls at Otter Mound Preserve.

    Marco Island, Florida

    Otter Mound Preserve

    Decorative shell walls built in the 1940s sit atop an ancient midden created by the Calusa Native Americans.

  • Quetzalcoatl’s Nest

    Naucalpan, Mexico

    El Nido de Quetzalcóatl

    An Aztec snake god has taken the material form of an apartment complex.

  • Fanciful outhouse in the Groulx Mountains.

    Rivière-aux-Outardes, Québec

    Uapishka Art Cabins

    Artistic cabins actually grow deep in the Canadian wilderness.

  • Britt, Iowa

    The Hobo Museum

    An old town theater converted into a celebration of the hobo legacy.

  • Isla Mujeres, Mexico

    Conch Shell House

    Beach instrument turned bed and breakfast.

  • San Miguel, Spain

    Shell House - Casa de las Conchas

    A small house in Tazones, completely covered in shells.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.