The botanical garden of Rome is located on the slopes of the Janicule, in the old park of the Villa Corsini, which was a time the residence of Christine of Sweden.

The structure depends on the Department of vegetable biology on the Université on Rome “Sapienza”.

History

The ancestor of the current botanical garden of Rome is the Simpliciarius Pontificius Vaticanus (i.e. the “garden of simple” where were cultivated the useful and medicinal plants, always present in the monasteries) mentioned under the pontificate of Boniface VIII.
A little later, at the end of the XIII century, an inscription today with the Capitole mentions a Pomerius desired by the pope Nicolas III on the Colline of the Vatican: it was however still about an agricultural land - vine, orchard, medicinal herbs - on the site occupied nowadays by the gardens and the palates of the Vatican, intended for the cultures for the service of the pontifical court.

The first true botanical garden of Rome was desired in XVIe century by Alexandre VI, and later on rebuilt by Pie IV, which equipped it with a guard (who made also function of guide). Pie V increases the garden by entrusting it to the botanist Michele Mercati. After one period of abandonment, the pope Alexandre VII did of it one of the principal botanical gardens of Europe, using the water of the Aqueducs of Rome che Paul V had installed Albano with the janicule.

Although the first university pulpit of Botanique was instituted in Rome in 1513 and that the students and the teachers could enjoy for their observations the botanical garden the Vatican, this last remained of very private statute.
Le first ground intended for this use was given to the University by the pope Alexandre VII Chigi in 1660.

It is only with the reunification of Italy, in 1883, that the botanical garden of Rome is installed on its current site, when the State acquires the property of gardens of the Corsini Villa.

The first director, that which in practically abandoned the Corsini park made install the first collections, was Pietro Romualdo Pirotta.

Current organization and species present

The botanical garden of Rome currently has an extension of 12 hectares, in a situation sheltered on the slopes of Janicule turned towards the North-East and shone upon in its plane part. The network of irrigation and some brooks devoted to the watery plants are fed by the aqueduct of the Acqua Paola which dominates the site.

“ the garden (according to the official site) has didactic functions, of environmental education and scientific research. One organizes exposures, courses there, conferences and congresses and one receives almost a hundred and thousand visitors annually there. The activity turned towards the schools is very intense with approximately 250 guided visits. The garden is moreover a site of research highly specialized on the ecology of urban environment. ”

The garden lodges currently more than 3000 plant species. Hereafter, some indications on the organization générle of the collections.

• palm trees,

• thickets of bamboos, valley of the ferns, rosery,
• Japanese Garden,
• In the upper part of the hill was preserved the original raised structure, left in the form of Mediterranean wood of sempervirents. This sector is called Bosco romano , and through foliations, among the secular specimens of holm oaks and Platane S (credited with 350 - 400 years), one benefits from splendid panoramic sights on the ville.
  Of installation of the garden carried out at the XVIIIe century, one preserved in this sector the staircase of Fuga and the niche leant with the top of the colline.
  Au below, in direction of the palate, was installed the collection of the Conifère S; one finds there in particular a Australian Araucaria , a American Séquoîa and some Taxodium distichum of Florida.
• watery plants,
• greenhouses,
• garden of simple and the aromatic plants.

Some images

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