Museu de Lisboa - Casa dos Bicos

On Rua dos Bacalhoeiros, Casa dos Bicos is one of the five branches of the Museum of Lisbon and houses, on the ground floor, an archaeological centre devoted to the city’s history. The building was constructed in the 16th century by order of D. Brás de Albuquerque, inspired by Italian Renaissance models, among them the Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara. The façade, classified as a National Monument, owes its name to the stones carved into diamond points, whose texture contrasts with the irregular arrangement of the openings. Inside, the remains reveal several layers of Lisbon, from the Roman occupation to the 18th century. Sections of wall, fish-salting tanks and everyday objects can be seen. On the upper floors, granted to the José Saramago Foundation, the house extends its cultural life. Between architecture, archaeology and urban memory, Casa dos Bicos shows Lisbon as a city built upon successive histories.