An 18th Century Laboratory

The history of the Museum begins with King Joseph I and the dynamic drive of his chief minister, the Marquis of Pombal, both of whom are portrayed there.

Similar to what was happening in Europe at the time, profound changes were taking place in various sectors of Portuguese life, particularly in higher education, limited to the University of Coimbra, the main hub of Portuguese culture at the time.

This university reform is set forth in the new Bylaws of the University of Coimbra, ratified by the King in the Law passed on 28 August 1772.

The Chimico Laboratory, of which Domenico Agostino Vandelli was the first director, was built for the purpose of teaching Chemistry and consolidates the Enlightenment ideology on the experimental teaching of science. This building, used for teaching and researching chemistry and chemical engineering until 1998, was redeveloped and turned into a museum, opened in 2006.

The historic 90-seat amphitheatre, built in 1856, the original practical work room and a laboratory with the old Chemistry unit and the 18th and 19th century collections were left as they were.