Botanical Garden of the University of Bologna

One of the oldest botanical gardens in Italy

The Botanical Garden of the University of Bologna is one of the oldest in Italy, created by Ulisse Aldrovandi in 1568.

Initially, it was located in a courtyard of the Palazzo D'Accursio, near Piazza Maggiore, and its purpose was to show medical students the plants from which the medicines of the time were prepared.

After several moves, the Botanical Garden found its final home in Via Irnerio, no. 42, in the heart of the university area. With an area of 20,000 sqm, it exhibits about 1800 species and numerous monumental tree specimens. It is important to note that many of the cultivated species are rare or protected.
The Garden has two buildings that, in part, host the Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences and four greenhouses, two tropical and two of succulent plants.
The reconstruction of various natural environments is of particular interest: various plant species are associated similarly to what happens in nature.