Restaurants, bars and museums in Lisbon · Page 102

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Baixa · Monuments & Historic Buildings

Casa dos Bicos, the "House of Spikes", stands at Rua dos Bacalhoeiros 10, 1100-135 Lisboa, in the Baixa. It dates from 1523 and is counted among the few 16th-century buildings in Lisbon. Afonso de Albuquerque, the viceroy of Portuguese India, lived here. The house is also one of the few buildings that came through the Great Earthquake of 1755. The name comes from the façade, which is covered in diamond-shaped stones. One guide puts their number at 1125. The design is thought to have been modelled on the palaces of Venice, although the two upper floors have arched windows in the Manueline style, a Portuguese form of Gothic. One guide describes the house as an architectural curiosity. The ground level holds an archaeological section of the Museu de Lisboa. It shows part of the Moorish wall, sections of Late Roman and medieval walls, and traces of the past 2000 years of the city. Everyday objects from the 16th to the 18th century are on display. You can also see the outlines of several ancient tanks from a fish processing factory. The upper floors house the José Saramago Foundation, which presents the life and work of the Portuguese writer who won the Nobel Prize for Literature. The permanent exhibition includes the prize itself, several international editions of his books, newspaper clippings, personal notes, photos, and videos of interviews and speeches. It also holds his personal library and a recreation of his first office, with his desk and other belongings. A shop sells his books in several languages, and the foundation hosts special literary events. Saramago's ashes were spread in front of the building, beside an olive tree brought from Azinhaga do Ribatejo, his hometown. The house is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00 and closed on Sundays. The archaeological site is free, while the rest of the building costs €3, with a €1 discount for Lisboa Card holders. The card also covers the metro, trams, buses, funiculars and trains. The metro station is Terreiro do Paço on the blue line, and the walk from Praça do Comércio takes about five minutes. For enquiries, the phone number is +351 210 993 811. Igreja da Conceição Velha, another survivor of the 1755 earthquake, is only a few feet away, and the cathedral is a short walk off. The surrounding streets have tourist shops, along with good-value restaurants known for traditional grilled fish dishes.