Casa dos Bicos
A 16th century architectural curiosity
This "House of Spikes" is an architectural curiosity, faced with diamond-shaped stones (a total of 1125).
It is a 16th century palace that belonged to Afonso de Albuquerque, the Portuguese viceroy of India, and is one of the very few buildings that survived the 1755 earthquake.
It is thought to have been modelled on the palaces of Venice, although the two upper floors have exuberant arched windows characteristic of the Portuguese Manueline style.
Its interior is not usually open to the public, except when it hosts occasional special exhibitions. It is currently in the process of turning into the home of the Saramago Foundation, a space dedicated to the Nobel Prize-winning Portuguese writer. It will host special literary events and contain the author's library.
There are tourist shops in the vicinity as well as cheap restaurants known for their traditional grilled fish dishes.
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