The Oldest Botanical Garden in Europe

It's in Padua, mind you.
Founded in 1545 thanks to Professor Francesco Bonafede, who wanted to enrich his university seminars on the medicinal properties of plants.


I visited this Botanical Garden 222 years and 353 days after Johann Wolfgang Goethe visited it and was inspired to write about its palm tree, now one of the most prolific exotic tree types growing in Italy and the mediterranean.

The original is now housed in a gazebo su misura (custom-built).



These days, the huge old tree seems to be exploding in a big wild mess contained within some glass panes, but what is a palm tree still alive from 1585 supposed to look like anyway?



The great find on my visit to the garden was seeing so many university students using it as a research source. It's not just a tourist trap in Padua, which means a lot. It's original aim as a study center has been maintained over the centuries. Some of the first experiments in botany occured here. Now, there are corners dedicated to regional species that are endangered and students analyze the plants' properties before it's too late. Other areas cultivate exotic plants (including North American varieties which is funny to see as "exotic", like a maple tree). Medicinal ones are kept in still other sections.

At one time, the university students had to take exams by going around the garden and producing the correct names of the various plants which their professors pointed to. Now that kind of visual memorization is no longer necessary. In its place, carefully handwritten signs denomiate the plant species for students and tourists. In the US, you would NEVER see handwriting in this situation. Here is a picture showing the name and Bolivian origin to some giant lily pads.
















A pink lily in bloom












A cactus detail





Agave and aloe plants first came to Europe from Mexico through this garden. Other plants which are taken for granted by today's Italians but which came from other continents include the sunflower, tulip tree, lilac and hyacith.




A tree that has seen dozens of wars and survived bombing this past century, exposes its inner belly.

A historical evolution of the garden:

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The original plan for the garden. Each quadrant of plants formed a different design.



16th century pillars had very clear rules inscribed for its visitors as follows:

1. Do not knock at this gate before the date of St. Mark the Evangelist (25 April) or before 10 o'clock in the morning.
2. Whoever enters from the decumen gate must not go far from it.
3. In the garden, do not break off stalks, pick flowers, remove seeds of fruit or dig up roots.
4. Do not tread on small plants.
5. Do not damage the garden in any way.
6. Do not do anything against the Prefect's will.
7. Trespassers will be punished with fines, prison or exile.

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The first enclosing walls were built in the 17th century to protect the plants from being stolen during the night.




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When Padua's upperclass wanted to meander through beautiful gardens in their lovely attire on a Sunday afternoon, they decided to revamp the botanical one here in the shadows of St. Justine. The 1800's brought a flourish of decoration, statues, fountains above and around the circular walls of botanical garden and additional garden areas. The busts feature famous botanists.



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In 1997, Padua's Botanical Garden was inducted into the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Some more pictures of "my walk in the park" in the Botanical Garden.











CENTRO DI ATENEO "ORTO BOTANICO DELL'UNIVERSITÀ DI PADOVA"
Via Orto Botanico, 15
35123 Padova - ITALY

tel. +390498272119
fax. +390498272120
ortobotanico@unipd.it
website.

Hours:

April-October: every day 9.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m., 3.00 - 7.00 p.m.
November-March: 9.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. (closed on public holidays)

Admission:

4€ regular
3€ reduced price
1€ students

Mare e Monti e Mercato

Sea and Mountains and Market

Yesterday I said goodbye to my father who is returning to USA. In his ten days in the country, we were able to explore the mountains, countryside and swim in the sea.

My husband, F, and I challenged his stamina and legs by climbing the Tofana di Rozes (3225 m/9033 ft) in the Dolomites under a glorious autumn sky.


We sent him golfing on an ambitious course at the foot of the Eugaean Hills, west of Padua, where the the woods and water seemed to "eat" his golf balls. Deeper into the hills, we had him feast on galletto , a small delicious chicken, for dinner that night.

We drove him to the Adriatic Sea to sit under a rainbow umbrella in Sottomarina near Chioggia to enjoy one of the last days of summer on the beach in total September relaxation.



In the middle of these trips dotting the Veneto map, we left him on his own in the center of town to discover what the city of Padua could offer him for this, his fourth trip. Watching the market close up shop at midday was reported to be the highlight while there were also impressive paintings by Tiepolo, Titian and other great artists that awaited him in the Eremitani museum that afternoon.

I believe it is important to sometimes leave my guests on their own in Italy so they can discover something with their own eyes. When I am at their side, some people may only focus on what I explain to them but importance is subjective so it is good to have the person decide on his own focus for at least a while. For my father, the market provides the local/foreign intrigue that he is looking for.

Readers, thank you for your patience and gift of time that you let me spend with my father.

Ciao, Dad. Alla prossima!
(See you next time!)

Pictures: climbing the last leg of the Tofana di Rozes; the view of Lagazuoi and Marmolada from the summit; Golf Club Montecchia from their website; online announcement from Bagni Arcobaleno in Sottomarina.

Tours on a Burchiello

With the warm season, new ways of exploring the city and region come available. Next to the monument, Memoria e Luce, dedicated to the September 11th tragedy, you can find this colorful boat. It offers tours through the city's waterways.

Yes, Padua has canals like Venice and Treviso. It used to have even more but many have been covered over to create roads. For example, about 20 years ago a road was named Riviera Tito Livio, near my place of work, recalling its origin as a water route. In the past, water was the best way to transport people and goods from city to city so even the inland city of Padua built a series of canals, mostly to connect it with Venice, which opens up to the lagoon and Adriatic Sea. But now cars and trucks seem to transport just about everything so roads are necessary and Padua's waterways are mostly explored by foreign tourists and local canoe clubs.

This particular boat, or burchiello, leaves from the Piòvego in the city centre, within a few minutes' walk to the train station.

There are several boat services of different shapes and sizes that take their guests through Padua, around Padua and along the Riviera Brenta to visit several important Venetian villas such as Villa Pisani, Villa Widmann, Barchessa Valmarana and Villa Malcontenta or from Padua toward Battaglia Terme to see the villas and waterfront of the Euganean Hills and Monselice. You can find trips for all tastes and price ranges, with time-frames ranging from one hour, half-day to full-day varieties. Here is a list of them:

www.padovanavigazione.it
www.deltatour.it
www.ilburchiello.it
www.battellidelbrenta.it
www.artemarstours.it


And if you decide to go a trip now with them, you might be able to take advantage of their low-season rates! (July and August heat seems to be a deterrent for some, but on the other hand, you won't have to worry about rain!)