The botanical garden in Florence is considered one of the three oldest gardens in Italy; the other two are located in Pisa and Padua. All of them are still operating today, and many of their plants are well over a hundred years old. The founding date of “Giardino dei Semplici” is considered to be 1545.
This botanical garden owes its appearance to Luca Ghini. This Italian botanist appealed to Cosimo I de' Medici with a request to provide funds for setting up a plant nursery for young physicians. Students studied medicinal herbs there and used them to create healing ointments and balms.
“Giardino dei Semplici” translates as “garden of simplicity.” If you look at it from a bird's-eye view, you can see that it really was laid out very simply: irregularly shaped squares connected to one another by paths. But in the 18th century the garden was redesigned, so the original layout has not survived. However, the “Boy with a Dolphin” fountain and the central alleys have survived to this day.
The botanical garden covers almost 2.5 hectares. Rare plant specimens coexist on this territory, specimens that would hardly ever have met in the wild. Visiting the garden is especially recommended during the blooming season: the air here is filled with a unique fragrance, and the eye is delighted by the bright colors of the flowers. The collections of orchids, ferns, and azaleas are of the greatest interest.
