Palazzo della Fonderia
...closely tied to the study of medicine, with the aim of researching
the properties and virtues of medicinal plants.
The Garden, at the time of foundation in 1544, was in the dockyards area, and had as its first “prefect” the illustrious Luca Ghini, already professor at the University of Bologna. Under his direction the Pisan garden became in a short time one of the most important in Europe for the quality and quantity of the plants you could see there and above all Luca Ghini gave a new course to the study of plants, turning botany into an independent science, not just a complement to medicine anymore.
Following the expansion of the dockyards of the Knights of St.Stephen, the Garden had to be relocated. Thus in 1563 it was moved near the convent of Santa Marta, an unhappy location for its vicinity to the city walls that threw their shadow on the flowerbeds for many hours a day and also because it was too far from the Sapienza to be convenient for the students.
In 1591 it was moved here, where we find it now, not far from the Cathedral.
Inside the garden was built the Palazzo della Fonderia, with its façade adorned with grotesqueries of stones and shells. Here on the second floor is my dwelling, while the first floor houses the "Gallery". It is a collection of natural objects of great interest and utility for the teaching of science. All kinds of natural findings find a place in this extraordinary collection, from the unicorn’s horn to the monkey’s skeleton, minerals, fossils, a vast amount of objects that the prefects have collected and kept over the years, so much so that now the gallery attracts scholars from many parts of Europe.
I am the nineteenth prefect. Like most of my predecessors I am more than glad to do my utmost for the Garden’s benefit. I correspond with all the renowned botanists in Europe that send me large amounts of specimens, especially exotic plants; I was the first to use greenhouses (I’m not saying I inevnted them, the idea came from Amsterdam) in the Garden of Pisa; and above all, I take care that all the plants are portrayed at the time of blossoming, in order that there is a testimony for posterity in case some might die; I have published a catalogue of painted plants that you will be able to see in my library.
The Garden, at the time of foundation in 1544, was in the dockyards area, and had as its first “prefect” the illustrious Luca Ghini, already professor at the University of Bologna. Under his direction the Pisan garden became in a short time one of the most important in Europe for the quality and quantity of the plants you could see there and above all Luca Ghini gave a new course to the study of plants, turning botany into an independent science, not just a complement to medicine anymore.
Following the expansion of the dockyards of the Knights of St.Stephen, the Garden had to be relocated. Thus in 1563 it was moved near the convent of Santa Marta, an unhappy location for its vicinity to the city walls that threw their shadow on the flowerbeds for many hours a day and also because it was too far from the Sapienza to be convenient for the students.
In 1591 it was moved here, where we find it now, not far from the Cathedral.
Inside the garden was built the Palazzo della Fonderia, with its façade adorned with grotesqueries of stones and shells. Here on the second floor is my dwelling, while the first floor houses the "Gallery". It is a collection of natural objects of great interest and utility for the teaching of science. All kinds of natural findings find a place in this extraordinary collection, from the unicorn’s horn to the monkey’s skeleton, minerals, fossils, a vast amount of objects that the prefects have collected and kept over the years, so much so that now the gallery attracts scholars from many parts of Europe.
I am the nineteenth prefect. Like most of my predecessors I am more than glad to do my utmost for the Garden’s benefit. I correspond with all the renowned botanists in Europe that send me large amounts of specimens, especially exotic plants; I was the first to use greenhouses (I’m not saying I inevnted them, the idea came from Amsterdam) in the Garden of Pisa; and above all, I take care that all the plants are portrayed at the time of blossoming, in order that there is a testimony for posterity in case some might die; I have published a catalogue of painted plants that you will be able to see in my library.
