Europe’s first botanical garden
The Minerva Garden was created in the 18th century by Matteo Silvatico, an important physician of the famous Salerno Medical School, the oldest medical university in the world, and one of the greatest titles of pride of the city of Salerno. Dr. Silvatico created in this garden the first example of a botanical garden: a didactic space where doctors taught their students to recognize the "simple" plants used to cure diseases. A garden that Silvatico enriched with rare and exotic species discovered during his countless trips.
