Garden of the Minerva

Historical dinners

The Garden of Minervais an ancientbotanical gardenin the upper part of the historic center of Salerno. Located on the slopes of the Bonadies hill, closed between the Fusandola stream and the ancient city walls, the garden is what remains of the medical garden ofMatteo Silvatico, the illustrious master ofSalernitana Medical School.

It was Matthew to write, around1317, the “L”iber Cibalis et Medicinalis Pandectarum“, precious collection on so-called ‘simple, plants with which medicines could be made. Here a large quantity of herbs and medicinal plants were cultivated and classified and this is where Matteo Silvatico himself taught his students. On this hill, therefore, thefirst botanical garden of the western world, whose particular type of design and use of vegetation were filmed in the botanical gardens of Padua, Pisa, Florence, Pavia and Bologna.

The area of the ancient garden has had many owners over the centuries, which have partly modified and integrated architecture and landscape. In the Second World War the last owner, Professor Giovanni Capasso, gave the entire structure allowing it to be again destined for public use. TheMunicipality of Salernothe present owner of good,2000gave light to the project of a new botanical garden inspired by Matteo Silvatico, which works in the tradition of that Medical School that made the city of Salerno one of the most important centers for ancient Western science.

The Garden

The Minerva Garden is divided intoterraceswith a water distribution system characterized by basins and fountains for each terrace, which has ensured the maintenance to crop the plots over the centuries.
The most valuable element of the gardens isstairwell of the 17th century, built on the ancient walls, straight from square pillars with simple stucco decorations. The staircase, located in the outermost side of the garden, connects the various terraces, leading to aviewpoint pergola, from which you can admire the port and the historical center of the city. The first level of the garden, the lower one, is the larger one and has regular square beds that take back the oldest track found by searching the deepest layers of the ground.
The tank on this level, calledPeschierafor its elongated rectangle shape, it is scanned in its outer side by four columns. Thisfirst levelhas a balustrade that forms a large and long terrace overlooking aexceptional panorama.
The staircase leads tosecond level, where there is aBath tubwith simple lines with a characteristicmarble mask. Continuing the climb you reach a narrow terrace on which there is asmall fountain decorated with limestone creations. The even higher level has apergola,placed in the corner repaired by the terraced walls. This last terrace is enriched byArtificial cavewith a bathtubPeschiera, where a water source creates a suggestive decoration of whiskers. The anthropo is entirely covered with limestone concretions and the light that filters from the whisks creates with water a pleasant play of reflections.
In the garden there is adining areamanaged by the Nemus Association specialized in the preparation of herbal teas with autochthonous and certified products and you can also admire somepainted medieval tiles, found during the restoration of the Palazzo Capasso.

To discover

The plants

In the garden there are more than 300 species of plants. In the first and largest terrace of the garden the plants are arranged according to the ancient system of plant classification. In all other flower beds the plants are set according to a landscape criterion.

The water system

A complex system of water distribution, consisting of canalizations, basins and fountains, one for each terrace, denotes the presence of conspicuous sources that have allowed, over the centuries, the maintenance to cultivation of the plots.

Artemisia absinthium Assenzio Vero

Among the many species present, the True wormwood known since ancient times for its beneficial properties in stimulating appetite and secretion of gastric and biliary juices and intestinal colics. Its distillate is aromatic and very bitter and is the main base in the preparation of vermouth wine.