A visit will do you good
Skope – Health and Medicine Museum is a private museum born from a collection of a Portuguese doctor and collector from Aveiro.
Its mission is to share knowledge of the historical heritage of medicine and to promote health education.
Health education
Skope aims to empower individuals, families and communities to take responsibility for making more sustainable and healthier choices, using knowledge as a tool to improve health and well-being.
Where it all began
This project originates from the collection of Dr. Hermes de Oliveira Castanhas (1932–2015), who devoted his life to gynaecology and obstetrics with the same passion and dedication that he applied to collecting medical artefacts.
For decades, his collection was on the move, featuring in congresses and conferences in Portugal and abroad. In the 1990s, it found a permanent home at Dr. Hermes House Museum in Aveiro, Portugal – his private museum of medicine.
Continuing the legacy
Following the passing of Hermes de Oliveira Castanhas, it was left to the family to continue his legacy by rethinking the future of the collection and the Dr. Hermes House Museum. This journey led to the creation of the Casa Hermes Foundation, officially recognised in 2022, which now owns the collection and seeks to preserve the medical legacy as well as promote cultural, scientific and social initiatives.
It is in this new phase that the history of medicine is joined by the goal of educating for better health and Skope – Health and Medicine Museum is born.
Skope is curious
The name Skope comes from the Greek word skopein, which means to look at, observe and examine. Also, “scope” is also the english suffix for various instruments that allow us to see further, such as a stethoscope or microscope…
Skope is an imaginative, eye-catching, fun and stimulating place. A modern space that welcomes everyone with open arms, educating and motivating its visitors towards a healthier tomorrow.
A visit will do you good!
The collection
It was built up over the course of five decades through acquisitions and donations and comprises approximately 1,800 pieces from various medical specialities dating from the 16th to the 20th century.
The space
The museum is located in Quinta de Aradas in Aveiro in a 19th century residence built in the style of the brasileiro de torna viagem, an architectural tradition associated with Portuguese emigrants who, after making their fortune in Brazil, returned to Portugal and built opulent homes as symbols of their success. Quinta de Aradas is an example of this style, incorporating influences from other times and places. The property was purchased by the Oliveira Castanhas family in 1976 and was home to the Dr. Hermes House Museum until 2020.
After undergoing restoration and maintenance, the house now hosts Skope, serving as both the setting and the subject of the exhibition.
You’ll see that it doesn’t hurt at all
Explore the main spaces, inside and out.