Casa dos Bicos

The Casa dos Bicos stands on Lisbon’s riverside, close to the recently reconstructed Campo das Cebolas. The building is well integrated amongst the old and irregular settlement of Alfama and the symmetrical plan of the Baixa Pombalina. It was constructed by Brás de Albuquerque, son of the first Viceroy of India, between 1521 and 1523. This building is known for its peculiar facade covered by a mesh of stone “diamond tips”, commonly known as “beaks”, inspired by Italian Renaissance models. The house was severely damaged by the 1755 earthquake. Years later, after a partial reconstruction, it housed the business of a cod merchant, an occupation that lasted well up to the 20th century. In 1983, on the occasion of the XVII European Exhibition of Arts, Science and Culture, a recuperation project based on historical documentation by Manuel Vicente and Daniel Santa-Rita recovered the global volume and celebrated the memory of what had disappeared in the 18th century. The building went through an extensive restoration between 2008 and 2012 and now it houses the headquarters of the José Saramago Foundation and an Archaeological Centre.