The Gil Eannes Hospital Ship, built in Viana do Castelo in 1955, supported the cod fleet that worked on the shores of Terra Nova and Greenland for decades. At the end of that time, the ship was moored at the Lisbon pier.

In 1998, a reconversion and restoration project financed by the Gil Eannes Foundation and supported by a large part of Viana’s civil society rescued it, brought it to Lima and transformed it, since then, into a museum, cultural and maritime center, providing visitors with an unforgettable experience.

That Foundation has a fundamental work of dissemination and management, which allows it to continue the project. It has administrative and financial assistance, maintenance and security, as well as marketing and promotion.

The strategic location of the Gil Eannes, right on the pier of Viana, with the cultural center and Jardim da Marina just next door (and with the historic center very close) makes this boat a symbol and an attraction for locals and visitors.