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 desired by the same duke, the Botanical Garden came under the jurisdiction of the University. There are over a thousand species kept (herbaceous, shrubby, and tree plants), including 200 native and exotic woody plants, both ancient and recently introduced, representing a wide overview of plant biodiversity enclosed in an area of about 1 hectare and 300 square meters covered for residence and exhibition. Like many other botanical gardens of ancient tradition, the Modena garden is also characterized by a series of paths, where large trees 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 for exchanges, is located in the so-called “System,” structured in flower beds. In the area of the Garden called the “Montagnola,” woody and shrubby species, both exotic and native, of considerable botanical interest are housed. In the “educational moat,” rural biotopes now threatened with extinction thrive, and hydrophilic/hygrophilic 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 includes 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
