Destined for the cultivation and study of medicinal plants, the Botanical Garden was established in 1758 by the will of Duke Francesco III d’Este, who reserved part of the Ducal Garden for this purpose. In 1772, with the Great University Reform initiated by the same duke, the Botanical Garden came under the jurisdiction of the University. The species preserved exceed a thousand (herbaceous, shrubby, and tree plants), including 200 native and exotic woody species, of ancient and recent introduction, representing a broad overview of plant biodiversity enclosed in an area of about 1 hectare and 300 square meters covered for housing and exhibition. Like many other botanical gardens of ancient tradition, the Modena garden is also characterized by a series of paths, where large tree plants alternate with potted species along the sidewalks, reflecting the different forms that collecting has taken over time. A collection of herbaceous and shrubby plants, the main source of seed supply for exchanges, is located in the so-called “System,” structured in flowerbeds. In the area of the Garden called the “Montagnola” are hosted woody and shrubby plants, exotic and native, of considerable botanical interest. In the “educational moat,” rural biotopes now threatened with extinction take root, and hydro/hygrophilous species of local interest are gradually introduced. The Ducal Greenhouses, built to house specimens of exotic origin, constitute the most important building complex of the Botanical Garden, which also counts a Succulent Plant Greenhouse and the “Serretta” with a warm/humid climate for species such as carnivorous plants, orchids, and ferns.
Information about the University Botanical Garden
Viale Caduti in Guerra, 127,
41121 Modena (Modena)
0592056011
ortobot@unimore.it
https://www.ortobot.unimo.it/
Source: MIBACT
