Botanical Garden (Orto Botanico), Padua

The Orto Botanico di Padova is a university botanical garden established in 1545 and is recognised as one of the oldest academic gardens still on its original site. It was founded to support teaching and research in medicine and natural history and retains a historic layout reflecting early scientific practice.

The garden presents ordered medicinal beds and demonstration plots, specimen trees and a succession of greenhouses that document botanical study and plant exchange over centuries. Collections include native and exotic species that were used historically in teaching and continue to be studied for scientific and conservation purposes.

The garden was created by the University of Padua in the mid-16th century for the practical instruction of medical students and expanded in later centuries with additional plantings and glasshouses. Its continuous academic use has preserved both living collections and archival material related to early botany.

The Orto Botanico sits within the city of Padua in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy, close to the university district and a short walk from central urban landmarks.

• Founding and continuity: Founded in 1545, it is one of the world's oldest academic botanical gardens and remains on its original site associated with the University of Padua.

What to See #

• Medicinal gardens and teaching beds: Historic beds and demonstration plots laid out from the 16th century for teaching the medicinal properties of plants and supporting the University of Padua's medical curriculum.
• Greenhouses and historic trees: A collection of greenhouses and specimen trees that illustrate later botanical expansion and the acclimatisation of exotic plants in the 18th and 19th centuries.