The Library of the Botanical Garden was founded in 1835, thanks to the Prefect Giuseppe Antonio Bonato (1753-1836), physician, professor of botany, bibliophile and director of the Library of Studies of Padova (1791; now University Library), who acquired the large library in 1795 from his predecessor, Giovanni Marsili (1727-1795), and further enriched it and then donated it to the University so that it became a library open to scholars.

During the nineteenth century, the prefects Roberto de Visiani (1800-1878) and Pier Andrea Saccardo (1845-1920) generously continued to grow the collection and to organise the library, maintaining that botanical books were indispensable tools for scientists. Prefect Saccardo, who enriched the Library with precious codices and herbals, is credited with having put together one of the largest collections of portraits of botanists and naturalist.

Between 1921 and 1947, the Prefect Giuseppe Gola (1877-1956), with the help of a young assistant, Carlo Cappelletti, reorganised the library, having become congested over the years: It was decided to keep only the books dedicated to botany at the Garden and much of the ancient collection, no longer considered congruent, was donated to the University Library of Padova and to the University Pharmacology Library.

 The historic hall of the library in two photographs from 1978 (from the collectionBotanical Garden’s Botanists Portrait Collection)

The current Library of the Botanical Garden is located on the first floor of the Botanical Garden Palace, former home of the prefect until 1970: After this date, the collection of books, originally located on the ground floor of the same building, was transferred there. It is part of the Library System of the University of Padova. It is open to the public and presents heritage, both ancient and modern, dedicated to botany and plants, not only in relation to medicine but also to popular and artistic culture; a section is devoted to the history of the Botanical Garden of Padua and other historical gardens.

Visit the library website: http://www.bibliorto.cab.unipd.it/

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