Padua’s Botanical Garden – the world’s oldest and a UNESCO World Heritage Site – will be revamped and expanded thanks to a 20-million-euro project financed by the University of Padua.
Founded in 1545 by the Venetian Republic, the Orto Botanico is the world's oldest academic botanical garden that is still in its original location. It was devoted to the growth of medicinal plants, the so-called "simple plants" (Orto dei semplici), which produced natural remedies, and also to help students distinguish genuine medicinal plants from false ones.
The garden, affiliated with the University of Padua, currently covers 22,000 square meters, and is known for its special collections and historical design. The space will be expanded to 37,000 square meters for the cultivation of every species of vegetation, from tropical forests to savannah, from Mediterranean climate to desert plants, inside a very large greenhouse.
Once the project is completed, the Orto Botanico will become a 'biodiversity garden' with zero impact on the environment, officials from Padua University said.
