|
The Botanical Garden of the University of Padova was founded in 1545, since which year it has remained and flourished in the same place where it was established, making it the oldest extant Botanical Garden in the world. Interestingly, it has not only maintained its original location but also its original Hortus cinctus, or walled, circular section, which, as can be evinced from a 1591 map of the Garden, can be traced back to the Garden's earliest times. At the time of the Garden's foundation, the University of Padova was already three centuries old, and enjoyed an international reputation of excellence as testified by the numerous students from all over Europe who chose to study in there. Many of these came to Padova to study medicine, and thus attended lessons at the Botanical Garden in order to learn how to recognize medicinal plants which, at the time, were practically the only source of remedies available to physicians. The Botanical Garden thus became a source of inspiration for physicians, who would then take all the knowledge they'd acquired in Padova back to their homeland. From its very foundation, therefore, the Botanical Garden was a pivotal point in a network of scientific institutions throughout Europe. Now, the Botanical Garden is open to multiple readings and interpretations. It is a monument, a masterpiece of urban planning, a natural heritage. But it is also a scientific site, emblematic in its innovative research, that has left an indelible mark on the history of botany. In 1977, unesco celebrated its uniqueness by inserting the Garden in its World Heritage list. We cannot but agree wholeheartedly with their reasoning, according to which the Garden is a "cradle of science".
|
