Orto Botanico dell'Università (University Botanical Garden), Siena

The University Botanical Garden (Orto Botanico dell'Università), spanning 2.5 hectares, is managed by the University of Siena. Situated within the historic city walls of Siena, this garden is a haven for both education and botanical enthusiasts, open daily to visitors.

The garden traces its origins to 1588 when the University of Siena first started cultivating medicinal herbs. This early focus on herbal studies evolved in 1756 when it shifted towards natural history under the guidance of Giuseppe Baldassarri starting in 1759. This period marked the beginning of significant botanical collection efforts. Further momentum was gained in 1784 with university reforms initiated by Grand Duke of Tuscany Peter Leopold, expanding the garden's collection to over a thousand new plant species, many sourced internationally. The garden’s botanical importance was highlighted in its first published catalog, the Seminum Index Siena, which listed around 900 species, including many non-native ones.

In 1856, the garden relocated to its current location, nestled on the hillside of the Saint Agostino Valley. A dedicated institute for botany was built on the site between 1910 and 1912. During the 1960s, the garden underwent significant expansion, doubling in size and enhancing its collections.

Today, the garden features meticulously arranged plant collections in systematic order within brick-bordered, rectangular flower beds that display a mixture of both exotic and indigenous plants. It also operates a productive farm area that cultivates fruits, olives, and Chianti grape vines. Furthermore, the garden houses three greenhouses covering about 500 square meters. These include a tropical greenhouse, a tepidarium for exotic species during winter, a succulent collection organized by country of origin, and an orangery with carnivorous plants and principal European citrus varieties.