In the beautiful Padua, near the famous Prato della Valle, stands a green oasis founded back in 1545, making it the oldest botanical garden in the world: the Botanical Garden of Padua. In 1997 it became one of the heritage sites included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, being considered the origin of all botanical gardens in the world and the cradle of science.

History and location

The Botanical Garden of the University of Padua, located in Padua, Veneto, near the Basilica of St Anthony, was established in 1545 as a centre for the cultivation of medicinal plants, known at the time as "simples", i.e. those medicines that came directly from nature.