Botanical Garden of Padua: The green marvel

The Botanical Garden of Padua, entered in 1997 between the sites on the UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is the oldest botanical garden in the world, since its foundation in 1545, maintains its original location.
The botanical gardens birth in the medieval period established for the University of Padua, is linked to the need over time to cultivate medicinal plants in addition to those normally available in nature: the University of Padua has always been known and recognized for study the therapeutic and pharmacological properties of the herbs.

Its history, the importance and extent of the research conducted over the centuries and the discovery of many active ingredients contained in plants, have made over the centuries the Botanical Garden of Padua a real reference point for medicine, botany , chemistry, ecology, and pharmacy. The Botanical Garden of Padua is known and appreciated worldwide for having introduced in Italy a few plants widely used in other countries such as Ginko Biloba, potato, sunflower, magnolia and jasmine.

Currently, albeit with several changes and additions carried out over the years, the garden maintains its original shape: it is spread over an area of 22,000 square meters and contains over 6,000 cultivated plants. Inside there are a swimming pool for the cultivation of aquatic plants which is fed with water from an aquifer which is located 300 meters below ground level, a place of meditation known as Hortus Conclusus and 4 main sections, divided in turn in different spaces. The four main categories of plants housed within the botanical garden are insectivorous, those medicines, rare plants, the Euganean and those introduced following major international exchanges.

In addition to plants known for their powers doctor / drug, the Botanical Garden of Padua hosts inside even some trees known for their longevity as the palm of Goethe present since 1585, the first acacia introduced in Italy in 1662, the Platano planted in 1680, the evergreen Magnolia 1786 and Ginko imported in 1750 in which the German poet Goethe dedicated a script.

A new botanical garden extension, the Biodiversity Garden created in 2014, collects more than 1,300 types of plants from every corner of the planet. This low environmental impact building today represents one of the most evolved greenhouses in the world which is fed from a tank for collecting rainwater and from an artesian well placed to almost 300 meters deep.

Within this greenhouse technologically advanced they are of the locations belonging to the rain and humid tropical forest, as well as the Mediterranean and arid climate, either hot or cold. The Botanical Garden of Padua hosts inside is also a large space dedicated to cultural initiatives such as the Botanical Museum and Library, where numerous content and valuable books.

Where and when

Open every day from 9 to 19 (from April to May and from June to September), from 9 to 18 October and from 9 to 17 November to March. Closed December 25 and January 1st

Website: www.ortobotanicopd.it