Orto Botanico dell'Università degli Studi di Padova

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Italy - Veneto - Padova

Institution Code: PAD

BGCI Member: Yes

About the Orto Botanico dell'Università degli Studi di Padova

The Botanic Garden of Padua dates back to 1545 and is regarded as the most ancient university garden in the world. Since its foundation, it was devoted to the growth of medicinal plants, since they made up the majority of the "simples", i.e. the remedies directly obtained from nature without any further concoction: for this reason it was named "Hortus Simplicium". In 1997 the Botanical Garden of Padua has been included in the World Heritage List of UNESCO.
The garden is a circle with an inscribed square which is in turn divided into four smaller squares by two paths aligned with the four cardinal points of the compass. At present, the oldest plant in the garden is a specimen of Chamaerops humilis var. arborescens planted in 1585. It is commonly known as the "Goethe palm". Other important trees are: a ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) and a magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) which date back to about the mid-1700s; a tall plan tree (Platanus orientalis) planted in 1680 and its huge trunk was struck by lightning and is now hollow; some swamp cypresses (Taxodium distichum) from Florida
and a specimen of Metasequoia glyptostroboides planted in 1961. In the Botanic Garden plants are also grouped to form some collections on the basis of their characteristics: insectivorous plants, medicinal and poisonous plants, mediterranean maquis, alpine rock garden, orchids, succulents, hydrophytes, native plants from the Euganean Hills and rare plants from NE-Italy.

Main Address:
Orto Botanico dell'Università degli Studi di Padova
Via Orto Botanico, 15
Padova
Veneto 35123 Italy

Telephone: 39 (0)49 827 2119
Fax: 39 (0)49 827 2120
URL: www.ortobotanico@unipd.it
Primary Email: ortobotanico@unipd.it

Staff Details

  • Director's Name: Prof. Tomas Morosinotto
    Curator's Name: Roberto Tacchetto
    Plant Records Officer's Name: Dr.ssa Mariacristina Villani
  • Total Staff:
    Horticultural Staff Number: 8
    Educational Staff Number:
    Research Staff Number: 1
    Administration Staff Number: 2

About the Garden

  • Institution Type: Botanic Garden
  • Status
  • Status: State: Yes
  • Date founded: 1545
  • Physical Data
  • Natural Vegetation Area: Yes
  • Landscaped Area: No
  • Total Area: 4 Hectares
    Latitude: 45.7000
    Longitude: 11.8666
    Annual Rainfall: 900 mm
    Altitude: 12.00 Metres
    Total area of glasshouses: 1350 Metres
  • Locality: Information
  • Locality: Garden Name: Orto Botanico dell'Università di Padova
  • Local Address: Via Orto Botanico, 15-I-35123
  • Locality: City: Padova
  • Locality: State: Italia

Features and Facilities

  • Herbarium: Yes
    Arboretum: Yes
  • Micropropagation/ Tissue Culture Facilities: Yes
    Seed Bank: Yes
    Published Plant Catalogue: Yes
    Computer Plant Record System: Yes
  • Open to public: Yes
    Friends society: No
    Retail Outlet: Shop: Yes
    Retail Outlet: Plant Sales: No
    Disabled access: Yes
  • Number of Visitors: 100000

Plant Collections

  • Accession Number: 6000
    Cultivation Taxa Num: 3500
  • Special Collections:Medicinal plants, orchids, insectivorous plants, succulents, hydrophytes, native plants from the Euganean Hills, rare plants from NE-Italy. Plants include ancient specimens of Chamaerops humilis (Goethe’s Palm), Platanus orientalis , Ginkgo biloba, Magnolia grandiflora.
  • Invasive Species Monitoring: Yes
    Invasive Species Policy: No

Conservation Programmes

  • Conservation Programme: Yes
    Medicinal Plant Programme: Yes
    Ex Situ Conservation Programme: Yes
    Reintroduction Programme: No

Research Programmes

  • Biotechnology: No
    Plant Breeding: No
    Conservation - Biology: Yes
    Conservation - Genetics: Yes
    Data Management Systems and Information Technology: No
    Ecology: No
    Ecosystem Conservation: No
    Education: Yes
    Ethnobotany: No
    Exploration: No
    Floristics: No
    Horticulture: No
    Invasive Species Biology and Control: No
    Pollination Biology: No
    Restoration Ecology: No
    Seed/Spore Biology: Yes
    Systematics and Taxonomy: Yes
    Pharmacology: Yes
    Land Restoration: No
    Urban Environments: No

Education Programmes

  • Visitor/Education Centre: Yes
    Guided Tours: Yes
    Special Exhibitions: Yes
    Courses for University/College Students: Yes