House with thorns

House with an unusual studded facade, Casa dos Bicos or Casa de Brás de Albuquerque (Casa dos Bicos or Casa de Bras de Albuquerque), is located in the old district of Lisbon - Alfame.
It was built in 1523 by Lisbon Senator Afonso Bras de Albuquerque, the illegitimate son of Afonso de Albuquerque.
The Thorn House in Lisbon survived the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami of 1755, which destroyed much of the city.
Since 2012, the Jose Saramago Foundation has been operating in the House of Thorns.

History of the House of Thorns
The facade of the building is entirely decorated with diamond-cut stone spikes and sharp tops. A unique example of the influence of the Italian Renaissance in the urban architecture of Lisbon. More specifically, Bras de Albuquerque ordered the construction of the House of Thorns after his trip to Italy, being inspired by the Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara, which is built in a similar style. However, the compact size of the Spiked Lisbon House, its uneven, asymmetrical arrangement of windows and doors give it a certain charm.
After the earthquake, only the base of the building survived, and the two upper floors were completely destroyed. In this form, the House with Thorns stood until the end of the 20th century. In 1973, the Albuquerque family sold the house as a warehouse and trade in dried cod (bakalau). And only in 1983, the house was completed with two missing floors. The Renaissance-style loggia on the 3rd floor and the Manueline-style windows were restored from old paintings and sketches.
Facade of the House of Thorns in Lisbon Since 2012, the House of Thorns has hosted the Foundation of Jose Saramago, a Portuguese writer and poet, playwright and translator, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature (1998). The Foundation offers its visitors a permanent exhibition called "Seed and Fruit" (A semente e os frutos), as well as other cultural events (book and theatre presentations, conferences, scientific meetings, etc.).