The oldest university botanical garden in the world

Established in 1545 to help university students study medicinal plants and observe them in vivo, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.
The Botanical Garden of Padua touches the origin of all such gardens the world over, and has contributed widely to the progress of numerous modern scientific disciplines, in particular botany, medicine, chemistry, ecology and pharmacy.
At the core of the 3.5 hectare site is the Renaissance Hortus Simplicium (‘garden of simples’). Today, the garden is a centre for research and conservation of plant biodiversity, holding 3,500 species of plant life from around the world.