The Botanical Garden in Pisa was created in the 16th century and is one of the oldest in the world. The Giardini Botanici were commissioned by the Medici family. There is also a Botanical Museum on the grounds of this attraction.
Botanical Garden Pisa
Address, opening hours and admission
Address: Via Luca Ghini 5, 56126 Pisa (tel. +39 0502211316). Bus: E. Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 08.30 to 17.30; Saturday from 08.30 to 19.30. Closed: Sundays and public holidays, Christmas period. Entrance fee: 2,50 (children between 6 and 12: 1,50 Euro; children under 6, 65+: free.
History
Pisa‘s Botanical Garden was commissioned by Cosimo I de Medici. It is one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world and the first connected to a university.
The idea to build the Giardino dei Semplici came from Luca Ghini.
Over the years the garden has occupied several different locations. Initially, in the middle of the 16th century, the Orto Botanico was located near the Arsenals of the city. When this land became property of the Knights of the Order of Santo Stefano, the gardens became part of Santa Marta Church (1563 to 1595). The street is still called Via del Giardino.
Around 1590, by order of Ferdinando I, the gardens were moved to the Via Santa Maria.
Botanical Museum
The Botanical Museum (Museo Botanico) is located on the grounds of the garden. The facade of the building where it is located was decorated in the 18th century with shells and a kind of coral called madrepore.