The Gil Eannes Hospital Ship , built in Viana do Castelo in the Shipyards of Viana do Castelo, started its activity as a hospital in 1955, supporting for decades, the Portuguese cod fleet that operated in the banks of Terra Nova and Greenland. With the cod fleet deactivated, it was left to rot on the docks of Lisbon for many years.

In 1998, the Gil Eannes Foundation, FP, considering it the city’s cultural and affective heritage, rescued it from scrap for around 250 thousand euros, after an unprecedented campaign that involved all social strata in Viennese.

On January 31, 1998, it was received festively in Foz do Lima, where, after being cleaned and restored, it was opened to the public, assuming itself as a pole of attraction for Viana do Castelo.

The conversion has transformed it into a museum space, integrating exhibition rooms, a meeting room and  a souvenir shop .