5/5 João X. 1 year ago on Google • 285 reviews
The
Casa
dos
Bicos
is
a
former
renaissance
palace
built
by
the
son
of
the
second
viceroy
of
India,
Brás
de
Albuquerque.
The
building
is
constructed
over
a
stretch
of
a
former
city
wall
(cerca
moura/cerca
velha),
and
further
down,
a
roman
city
wall
and
fish
preserve
facilities
were
found.
All
these
archeological
findings
are
exhibited
in
the
ground
floor,
under
management
of
the
Museu
da
Cidade
and
free
to
visit.
The
upper
floors
house
the
Saramago
Foundation,
which
promote
Saramago's
work
(Nobel
Prize
of
Literature),
literature
and
human
rights.
Besides
office
space,
an
exhibition
on
the
author's
life
is
available
for
3€.
Alternatively,
one
can
visit
the
bookstore
on
the
3rd
floor
for
free.
The
renaissance
building
features
an
unusual
diamond
point
covered
façade,
probably
of
italian
influence.
At
this
time
this
was
the
most
visible,
river
facing
façade,
but
not
the
main
entrance
to
the
building,
which
was
done
through
a
courtyard
from
the
northern
side.
The
building
was
highly
damaged
during
Lisbon's
earthquake
of
1775,
on
which
the
top
2
floors
were
lost.
In
the
90s,
the
building
was
renewed
in
a
post-modern
fashion.
The
archeological
and
historic
memory
found
on
the
site
was
made
apparent
and
juxtaposed
to
a
new,
contemporary
layer
of
a
complex
spatial
structure
that
turns
and
unfolds
around
these
findings,
celebrating
depth,
complexity,
and
juxtaposition.
The
upper
two
floors
were
rebuilt,
reinterpreted
from
paintings
and
drawings
from
before
the
earthquake.
Here
and
there
the
archeological
remnants
from
previous
eras
may
be
found
hidden
in
the
foldings
of
time
and
of
the
building.
The
daring
and
unconventional
refurbishment
raised
much
controversy
at
the
time,
but
Lisboners
have
made
peace
with
it
since.
There
is
a
threefold
reason
to
visit
this
building:
it
tells
of
the
urban
history
of
the
city,
it
showcases
Saramago's
work
and
life
(besides
other
activities
by
the
foundation)
and
it
is
a
unique
Lisbon
post-modern
space.
Regular
guided
visits
are
organized
by
the
Museu
da
Cidade
to
the
ground
floor.
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