Asclepius was the god of medicine in antiquity, and his sanctuaries, the Asclepieia, were the healing centers of the ancient world. Patients would go there with the hope of being healed in a mystical way while they slept, either by the god himself or by his sacred animals, snakes, and dogs, which licked them. However, we know that beyond the acts of worship, medical practices were also performed at the sanctuaries of Asclepius: treatments with herbs and medicinal preparations, and even surgeries.

The Asclepieion of ancient Peparethus, which was located where the present-day town of Skopelos stands, was founded around the beginning of the 5th century BC. It was situated outside the city, in the countryside, near the sea and a spring. This location was ideal for serving the needs of worshipers, patients, and perhaps even sailors from ships arriving at the port of Peparethus.

The sanctuary flourished during the 4th century BC and the Hellenistic period (3rd–1st century BC), and the building continued to be used until the early Byzantine period. Excavations here, which began in the early 1960s, have brought to light remnants of buildings, parts of roof tiles stamped with the inscriptions: ASKLIPIOU (Asclepius), HIEROS (Sacred), DIMOSIOS (Public), an altar for sacrifices and offerings around which the necks of amphorae were placed upright, many clay loom weights, and much more. Of particular interest are the offerings of the faithful to the god: marble votive steles and statues, mostly of small children, as well as a multitude of silver and bronze coins from different ancient cities, attesting to the great fame of the sanctuary.