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The Botanical Garden of the University of Genoa was established in 1803 with the acquisition of a small portion (21.500 square feet) of the ancient estate of Collegio di S. Gerolamo in Balbi, owned until the end of the 18th century by a Jesuit congregation. Despite its limited number of species (1.011), it was acknowledged as a wondrous wealth of officinal plants and a most valuable resource for scholars.

Back then, Genoa University had already carried out some important medical research, but it had never owned a real “in vivo” facility to work with the most popular officinal plants at that time.
Many famous eighteenth-century doctors from Genoa had received an in-depth botanical education but had never been able to perform any real field study.

The Botanical Garden is set in the ancient historical centre of the city, on a mere 2.5-acre area. Some 10.760 square feet are used for six greenhouses on three different floors. They simulate many different habitats for plants like ferns including (Cibotium regale Linden; J.Sm.), and rare species (Angiopteris evecta Hoffm.), tall tropical, with 25 different species of Ficus, Sterculia and an enchanting specimen of Ravenala madagascariensis Sonn.
Another greenhouse houses several water plants used both for decoration, such as the Cape waterlily and the Cape blue waterlily (Nymphaea capensis Thunb., Eichhornia crassipes – Mart.- Solms), and practical use, such as the papyrus (Cyperus papyrus L.).

The fourth greenhouse has a rich collection of succulent plants including 30 species of the genus; we can also find tropical herbaceous plants such as Bromeliaceae and Orchideaceae species. The last greenhouse is dedicated to beautiful specimens of Cycadeae.

Right outside, there’s the Australian plant sector with a specimen of Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis WGJones, KDHill & JMAllen), two arboretums and the officinal plant walkway, recently renovated by the Botanist of Genoa Association “Amici dell’Orto”.

State-of-the-art computers have been used for some time now, to thoroughly revise, update and complete the old-fashioned manual cataloguing and census of all the plant species in this botanical garden. We’re looking at some 4.000 specimens, representing about 2.000 taxa.

The Botanical Garden of Genoa features several themed collections, such as the ones exhaustively covering Agave, Aloe, Erysimum, Euphorbia, Ferocactus, Ficus, Haworthia, Mammillaria, and Sterculia species.

There is also a huge collection of ferns with some majestic specimens, epiphytic ferns, and smaller plants, just as interesting. The collections of succulent plants – recently expanded – and carnivorous verities are also extremely popular.

All the different collections, which usually feature few specimens of each variety, are designed to demonstrate biodiversity, rather than preserve any endangered species. It goes without saying that they serve another paramount function, providing a wealth of reference material for university courses and about the propagation species at risk of extinction or already disappeared from their natural habitat.

All parts of the botanical garden but the greenhouses can be visited on weekdays, from 9.00 to 16.30 (Friday until 12.30).

Free guided tours are also available: normally they are organized by the “Friends of the Garden Association”.
Please contact the Association by e-mail at angiopteris@katamail.com or at 333 6127 539 (also by text).
Guided tours can also be booked by contacting the Museum Educational Association at 334-8053212, or by email: genova@assodidatticamuseale.it

School tours: they are organized by the “Museum Didactic Association”.
Please contact the Associazione Didattica Museale at 334-8053212.
Innovative educational courses have recently been included. For more information, please use the following link

DOWNLOAD THE EDUCATIONAL PROPOSALS FOR GROUPS AND SCHOOLS

The Botanical Garden can be reached from Via Balbi 5, going up the University building, then to the lower part of the Botanical Garden, or from Corso Dogali 1M

text and photo source: http://www.ortobotanicoitalia.it/liguria/genova/

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)