‘The Boundaries of Eden’ Show at the Botanical Garden

A display of contemporary sculpture as well as installations, aptly named Flowers, is being hosted by Florence’s Botanical Garden (Orto Botanico, via P. Micheli 3) through September 3.  The creations of the Garden’s annual series were contributed by second and third year students of Florence’s Fine Arts Academy (Accademia delle Belle Arti). 

The works, in a variety of mediums, all reflect the theme of this third edition: The Boundaries of Eden.  

Obscured by the Tuscan-yellow walls of Via Pier Antonio Micheli, the Botanical Garden is an organic oasis within the expanse of urban desert.

Originally called the Giardino dei Semplici, the green space was founded in 1545 by Cosimo I de Medici as an academic garden for cultivating medicinal and exotic plants. It is the third oldest of its kind in the world, after those of Pisa and Padua.

Losing themselves in the setting at one of the scattered benches, visitors can feel the traces of Renaissance Florence still present within the blooming space. A traditional formal Italian garden, complete with the bush-lined paths of a maze, provides both a functional and pleasing aesthetic.

The garden is home to a variety of flowerbeds, plant itineraries and greenhouses, all centered on a small lake. With every step, visitors pass between regional, exotic, medicinal and poisonous plants, all under a canopy of large, distinguished trees.

Among them is a 180-year-old Japanese Elm, the so-called “grandfather” of the tranquil Oriental Zone.

The botanical gardens boast a collection of rich greenhouses, six small and two large, which can be appreciated by even non-botanists. The first of the two sizable structures, called the “cold” house because the temperature never reaches more than 20 degrees Celsius, holds one of the most extensive palm collections in Europe, as well as an assortment of dwarf succulent plants. The “hot” greenhouse resembles a humid, tropical rainforest in which visitors can stroll amongst banana trees, coffee plants and a variety of spice plants.

The Botanical Gardens’ hours though Sept. 2 are 10 am – 7 pm; closed Wednesday. Admission: €3.  (rosanna cirigliano/sara krevoy)