Conference topic Scientific Literacy: Contributions from the History and Philosophy of Science
Conference date July 6th - July 10th 2026
Conference venue Lisbon, Portugal
Conference Chair: Cláudia Faria; Conference Co-Chair: Ricardo L. Coelho
As part of the conference programme, participants are invited choose three different options, each offering a distinctive perspective on the history of science, knowledge, medicine, and scholarly culture in Portugal.
Places are limited, and participants are kindly asked to register in advance for one, and only one of the three options.
The Pharmacy Museum offers a rich journey through the history of health, medicine, and pharmaceutical practice across different cultures and historical periods. Its collections include original objects related to the development of pharmacy, healthcare, and medical knowledge, from ancient civilisations to contemporary times. In Lisbon, the museum also highlights the history of Portuguese pharmacy and the role of pharmacists in the evolution of public health and scientific practice.
This guided visit will focus on the Historical Chemical Laboratory and Amphitheatre of the National Museum of Natural History and Science, University of Lisbon. These spaces are closely associated with the teaching and practice of chemistry in Portugal and offer a valuable insight into the material culture of scientific education. The laboratory and amphitheatre evoke the historical relationship between experimentation, demonstration, and university teaching, highlighting Lisbon’s role in the development of scientific institutions and practices.
The visit to the former convent library, now the Great Hall of the Academy of Sciences of Lisbon, offers participants the opportunity to discover one of Lisbon’s most significant spaces of learned culture. The Academy of Sciences of Lisbon was founded in 1779, and its library resulted from the combination of the Academy’s own collections with those of the Convent of Our Lady of Jesus, transferred to the Academy after the extinction of the religious orders in 1834. The former convent library, today the Academy’s Great Hall, is closely connected with the history of scholarship, Enlightenment culture, and the institutional development of science and letters in Portugal.
Participants should select one cultural excursion option.
Other venues to visit near these places:
All three cultural excursion venues are located close to important historical and cultural areas of Lisbon. Participants visiting the Pharmacy Museum may explore Santa Catarina, Chiado, Bairro Alto, the Bica Funicular, and the Miradouro de Santa Catarina. Those visiting the Laboratorio e o Amphiteatro de Chimica da Escola may enjoy the Príncipe Real area, including the Botanical Garden, Jardim do Príncipe Real, and the nearby Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara. Participants visiting the former convent library, now the Great Hall of the Academy of Sciences of Lisbon, may explore Bairro Alto, São Bento, Chiado, Igreja de São Roque, and Largo do Carmo. Participants are encouraged to use the remaining time in the afternoon to discover these nearby landmarks and enjoy Lisbon’s rich historical, scientific, artistic, and architectural heritage.
