Bicos House

The Bicos House (in portuguese Casa dos Bicos), integrated in the Museu de Lisboa¹, was built in 1523 by the order of Brás de Albuquerque, son of the viceroy of India D. Afonso de Albuquerque.

Building of peculiar architecture, soon began to be called by Casa dos Bicos by the folks of Lisbon. The intention of Brás de Albuquerque in having a residence inspired in the Diamonds Palace was since soon foiled by the nickname which gained momentum and stood until nowadays. Where the proprietary saw a metaphor alluded to diamonds, the people saw pointy stones (In Portuguese, the word Bicos means something pointy).

Since July of 2012 that the Bicos House is the head office of the Fundação José Saramago². It, was created on the June 29^th of 2007 with the purpose of preserving, studying and divulging the work of the writer José de Sousa Saramago who won a Nobel Prize.

In this museum space are available to the public the library of José Saramago and a permanent exhibition not only about his work but also his private life. The writer isn't among us anymore since the June 18^th of 2010 and this is his legacy.

On the ground floor of the house it is possible to visit Roman salting tanks and a section of the Muralha Fernandina³, discovered during the building rehabilitation works in 1981.

Translation references

1. Lisbon Museum
2. Foundation José Saramago
3. Ferdinand Wall