In the heart of Pavia, just a short walk from the historic city centre, lies one of the city's most fascinating yet lesser-known attractions: the Botanical Garden of the University of Pavia. Recognised as the oldest university botanical garden in Lombardy and one of the oldest in Italy, this remarkable historic garden is celebrating a special milestone this year: the 250th anniversary of its iconic Scopoli Plane Tree. It is the perfect opportunity to discover a unique place where biodiversity, history and scientific research come together in the heart of the city.

A History Spanning More Than Two and a Half Centuries

The Botanical Garden was established as part of the major reform of the University of Pavia promoted by Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, whose educational policies transformed the University into one of Europe's leading scientific institutions during the eighteenth century. Its origins, however, go back even further to the ancient hortus simplicium ("garden of simples"), where medicinal plants were cultivated for teaching medicine and pharmacy.

In 1763, the University's first Chair of Botany was entrusted to the Vallombrosan monk Fulgenzio Vitman. Shortly afterwards, Count Karl Joseph von Firmian, Austrian Minister Plenipotentiary for Lombardy, selected the present site next to the Church of Sant'Epifanio. Construction of the Botanical Garden and its adjoining chemistry laboratory was completed in 1775, while the historic greenhouses—designed by Giuseppe Piermarini and later modified by Leopoldo Pollack—began to take shape in 1776 under the supervision of Valentino Brusati.

In 1777, Giovanni Antonio Scopoli became Professor of Botany and played a decisive role in the Garden's scientific development and organisation. Under his direction, the grounds were redesigned with arboreta, geometric flowerbeds and elegant pathways, creating the layout that still characterises the Botanical Garden today.

Scopoli's Plane Tree: A Living Monument Celebrating 250 Years

The undisputed symbol of the Botanical Garden is Scopoli's magnificent London plane tree (Platanus × hispanica), planted in 1778. More than two and a half centuries later, it still dominates the landscape with a trunk measuring approximately seven metres in circumference and a height exceeding 40 metres.

Included in Italy's National Register of Monumental Trees, it is considered one of the country's most significant historic trees and remains one of the Garden's most admired attractions.

Its large palmate leaves and distinctive mottled bark make it instantly recognisable. During autumn, the tree produces the characteristic spherical fruit clusters that often remain hanging from its branches throughout the winter.

The London plane is also one of the most widely planted ornamental trees in Italian cities thanks to its remarkable adaptability, resistance to urban pollution and its contribution to carbon dioxide absorption, carbon storage, air quality improvement and the mitigation of the urban heat island effect.

A Living Museum of Biodiversity

The Botanical Garden is part of the University of Pavia Museum System and belongs to the prestigious Grandi Giardini Italiani network. Today it serves as a living museum of biodiversity, where scientific research, plant conservation and public education coexist in harmony.

The Garden follows sustainable management practices: no chemical herbicides or pesticides are used, grass is mown selectively to encourage wildlife, and dead wood is intentionally left in specific areas to provide habitats for insects, fungi and small animals.

Botanical Collections, Historic Greenhouses and Thematic Trails

Beyond its famous plane tree, the Garden preserves an extraordinary collection of plants from around the world.

Its rose garden features both ornamental hybrids and the wild species from which many modern roses originated. The arboretum is home to centuries-old trees, while the medicinal plant collection illustrates the historical relationship between botany and medicine. Collections dedicated to aquatic plants, angiosperms and gymnosperms allow visitors to explore the evolution of the plant kingdom.

Among the Garden's most intriguing features are the so-called "Forbidden Vineyard", used for scientific research, and its tea plant collection.

Particularly remarkable are the historic greenhouses, considered among the oldest surviving botanical greenhouses in Europe, together with the tropical greenhouse developed during the directorship of Ruggero Tomaselli and the Mediterranean greenhouse associated with Giovanni Briosi. Some of these structures are currently closed to visitors while restoration and enhancement works funded by Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) are being completed, preserving and enhancing this unique historic site.

A Garden Designed for Everyone

As part of the PNRR project, the Botanical Garden has developed several accessibility initiatives in collaboration with ADMaiora, ANFFAS Pavia and the Samarkanda Educational Centre.

These include an Easy-to-Read guide, a family-friendly KID Trail featuring illustrated information panels for younger visitors, and the multisensory experience "Botanical Garden through the Five Senses – A Garden for Everyone", designed to offer an inclusive and engaging experience for visitors of all ages and abilities.

Visitor Information

The Botanical Garden is located at 14 Via Sant'Epifanio, just a few minutes' walk from Pavia's historic centre.

Opening hours, admission fees and visiting arrangements may vary throughout the year. Visitors are therefore encouraged to check the Botanical Garden's official website before planning their visit, where the latest information on opening times, temporary closures and ticket prices is regularly updated.

Visitors can also purchase passes that include admission to other museums within the University Museum System, including the Museum for the History of the University, the Camillo Golgi Museum and the Museum of Archaeology.

Where Nature, History and Science Meet

With more than 250 years of history, internationally important botanical collections, monumental trees, historic greenhouses and a continuing commitment to scientific research, conservation and accessibility, the Botanical Garden of the University of Pavia is one of the city's must-see attractions.

A walk through its peaceful avenues offers a journey into the history of European botany while discovering plant species from every continent and admiring the majestic Scopoli Plane Tree, which continues to tell the story of the University of Pavia's remarkable scientific heritage 250 years after it was planted.