Notizie del pubblico giardino de' semplici di Padova compilate intorno l'anno 1771

This volume offers a vivid portrait of the first public garden of medicinal plants in Padua, tracing its birth in the mid‑sixteenth century. It follows the 1545 decree that set the project in motion, the negotiations with the monks of Santa Giustina to secure the required plots, and the early patronage of local reformers who saw the garden as a civic and scholarly treasure. The narrative captures the excitement of planting the very first European botanical garden and the ripple effect it created across Italy and the Low Countries.

The early custodians come to life through detailed anecdotes about Luigi Anguillara, the Bolognese botanist appointed in 1546, and his successor Pierantonio Michiel, whose passionate stewardship rescued the garden from neglect. Their work turned the modest plot into a renowned centre of study, inspiring similar institutions in Pisa, Florence, Bologna and Leiden. Interspersed with contemporary inscriptions and reflections, the book immerses listeners in the scholarly atmosphere of Padua’s university courtyard during its formative years.