Casa dos Bicos

This striking building was erected between 1521 and 1523, on the orders of Brás de Albuquerque, the son of the first Viceroy of India. Its unusual façade, covered by a grid of point-cut diamonds commonly known in Portuguese as 'bicos', was inspired by Italian Renaissance models, namely the Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara. Inside, a ground-floor exhibit run by the Museu de Lisboa lays bare (literally) the plot's history from Roman through medieval times, including sections of the ancient city wall, traces of a production centre for fish preserves, and ceramics and glassware from later centuries. The upper floors house the Fundação José Saramago (21 751 3215, www.josesaramago.org). It has a bookshop with a good stock of the writer's work and hosts regular debates on literary and social topics.