For decades, the Hospital Ship Gil Eannes, built in Viana do Castelo in 1955, provided support the Portuguese cod fishing fleet which operated on the banks of Newfoundland and Greenland. With the cod fleet disabled, this hospital ship rotted in the docks of Lisbon for many years. However, on January 31 1998, it was received ceremoniously at the mouth of the River Lima where, after being cleaned and restored, it was opened to the public. The Hospital Ship has become a centre of attraction for Viana do Castelo. Since the Gil Eannes was opened to visitors in Viana do Castelo old commercial harbour, the foundation of the same name has aimed to transform the ship into a museum space, thus contributing to cultural, tourist and scientific fields with special connections to the sea. Consequently, over the years various rehabilitation and restoration projects have been carried out, allowing visitors to come into close contact with the vessel’s various spaces and learn some of the history it has to tell.
Location: Viana do Castelo
