This beautifully illustrated book captures the wonders of Padua s centuries-old botanical garden, revealing the artistic and architectural features of the complex along with its fabulous collection of plants, some medicinal, some spectacular, and others exceedingly rare.

Author Biography

The Botanical Garden of Padua was established when, in 1545, the University of Padua was charged with setting up a botanical garden for the study of medicinal herbs used by pharmacists for their active ingredients, and it was here that the world s first botanical garden came into being. Over the centuries the garden s collections grew, as did its role as a hub for new imported plants, thanks to explorers and the trade activities of the Republic of Venice; here the plants were studied and then spread throughout Europe (not least the coffee plant).