Florence Botanical Garden

The Botanical Garden of Florence, also known as the Garden of the Simples, is one of the oldest botanical gardens in Europe, founded on December 1, 1545 by Cosimo I de’ Medici. Located in Via Pier Antonio Micheli, the garden covers an area of 2.3 hectares and is managed by the University of Florence. The name “Garden of the Simples” derives from the medieval term “simples”, which indicated medicinal plants cultivated for therapeutic purposes. The original idea of the garden was to cultivate medicinal plants for scientific and educational purposes. The project was initially curated by the botanist Luca Ghini and the architect Niccolò Pericoli, known as Tribolo. Over the centuries, the garden has evolved and expanded, becoming a reference point for botany and medicine. In the 18th century, under the direction of Pier Antonio Micheli, the garden reached a period of great splendor, enriching itself with numerous rare species and becoming famous worldwide. One of the distinctive features of the Botanical Garden of Florence is the presence of centuries-old trees, such as the yew (Taxus baccata) planted in 1720 and the cork oak (Quercus suber) from 1805. These trees not only represent the history of the garden, but are also living examples of plant cultivation and conservation techniques through the centuries. The garden is structured in a geometric layout, with paths that cross the various sections and a central fountain that serves as a focal point. The greenhouses, built in the 19th century, house a wide range of tropical and subtropical plants, used to extract medicinal and food products such as coffee, cocoa, and pepper. An intriguing element of the garden is the marble niche with a bust of Asclepius, the Greek demigod protector of the medical arts, located near the central fountain. This 18th-century sculpture symbolizes the historical connection between botany and medicine, emphasizing the importance of the garden as a place of care and knowledge. Over the centuries, the garden has hosted numerous distinguished botanists and saw the creation of the Florentine Botanical Society in 1716, the first European botanical academy. This period of scientific flourishing led to the diversification of botanical studies, gradually separating them from medicine. Today, the Botanical Garden of Florence continues to be an important center for research and education. The garden houses approximately 9,000 plant specimens, organized in thematic beds that reflect the diversity of the world’s flora. Among the most significant collections are those of medicinal plants, centuries-old trees, and tropical greenhouses.