Maritime Museum of Ílhavo, Maritime museum in Ílhavo, Portugal.
The Maritime Museum of Ílhavo (MMI) is housed in a modern building designed by ARX Portugal, which it moved into after renovation and expansion in 2001. Its permanent exhibitions cover cod fishing in the seas off Newfoundland and Greenland, work in the Ria de Aveiro, and the diaspora of Ílhavo's people along the Portuguese coast. Since 2001 it has also included the Santo André, a former codfish trawler turned museum ship.
The museum was founded in 1937 when a group of local citizens decided to preserve the maritime history of their region. This founding was part of a broader effort to safeguard fishing heritage for future generations.
The museum reflects how fishing shaped daily life and identity for people in this coastal region across generations. Visitors can see this maritime connection expressed through the displayed objects and the way spaces are arranged.
The museum is located in town and operates on different schedules depending on the day and season. Visitors should check opening times beforehand since they vary throughout the year.
The museum houses Portugal's first codfish aquarium, where visitors can see different species of this fish that shaped the region's fishing traditions. This aquarium is something rarely found in other places.
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