The works

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The literary production of Marsili is not vast, but his publications and manuscripts demonstrate the breadth of his education and interests: next to works of poetic and literary character, there are texts dedicated to mushrooms, brochures on the Botanical Garden of Padova and essays dedicated to individual plant species, of which only the three main ones are presented. Of particular interest is his dry herbarium.

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La serenata di Ciapino e Il lamento della Ghita. Stanze rusticali (1750)

serenata-ciapino Verses of Marsili contained in La serenata di Ciapino e il lamento della Ghita (Biblioteca Universitaria: BOT.5.78)

A work by Bartolomeo Vitturi which also contains an introductory sonnet by Gaspare Gozzi and the closing verses by Giovanni Marsili.

Conspectus exponendorum in gymnasio a Joanne Marsilio botanices professore (1761?)

Prolusion (i.e. solemn lecture) by Giovanni Marsili in his first year as a professor of botany. In these few pages, Marsili traces a brief history of the study of botany and of the methods of classification of plants, arriving at the new methodology proposed by Linnaeus.

Fungi carrariensis historia (1766)

The text, although not particularly innovative in content, is significant because Marsili is the first prefect to deal with mushrooms in a Botanical Garden that in the following century, with Pier Andrea Saccardo, will become an international reference point for the study of mycology.

Descrizione della "Firmiana" albero esotico, che ha portato fiori e frutti..., in "Saggi scientifici e letterarj dell'Accademia di Padova", I (1786)

Writing dedicated to a plant from China that Marsili receives from the abbot Filippo Antonio Farsetti and cultivates at the Padova’s Botanical Garden. Based on a careful study of seeds, flowers and fruits, Marsili identifies it as a new species, to which he gives the name "Firmiana" in honor of Count Carlo Gottardo of Firmian.

Del genere e d'una nuova spezie di "Phytolacca", in "Saggi scientifici e letterarj dell'Accademia di Padova", III, part I (1794)

In the context of a brief discussion on a plant species, Marsili expresses his views on the classification method proposed by Linnaeus.

Dell'Erba Cannabina, Febbrifugo nuovo e singolare, in "Saggi scientifici e letterarj dell'Accademia di Padova", III, part II (1794)

History and botanical description, according to the method of Tournefort and that of Linnaeus, of a plant, called "cannabine herb", which Marsili discovers has great utility in counteracting intermittent fevers.

Catalogo de' libri Marsilj (18th century)

Handwritten catalogue of the entire book collection, with notes on the value and rarity of the pieces.

Locuzioni italiane (18th century)

Unpublished manuscript dedicated to different terms of the Italian language, arranged in alphabetical order. Phrases, poems, popular sayings and literary quotations are reported for each word.

Dry herbarium

Dry herbarium including specimens of 545 plant species divided into four bundles of sheets and alphabetically ordered. On each sheet, handwritten labels show the identification of the species and, sometimes, other information. It is the oldest preserved herbarium among those created by the Prefects of the Botanical Garden.

Erbario Marsili Erbario Marsili Erbario Marsili Erbario Marsili Four sheets from the Marsili herbarium (from Phaidra)

La cosa. Stanze rusticali di Giovanni Marsili pubblico professore di botanica nell'Università di Padova (1830)

Short poems published posthumously as a tribute to a wedding in the booklet "Per le illustri nozze del nobile signor Gio. Paolo Baglioni con la nobile signora contessa Elisa Zustinian Recanati" by Pietro Santini.

Notizie inedite scritte da Giovanni Marsili già professore di botanica nella I. R. Università di Padova (edited by Cesare Sacerdoti) (1840)

List of Venetian patrician enthusiasts of the natural sciences who between the 16th and 18th centuries established private botanical gardens in the region. The scientific publications, the most interesting collections of plants and the close relations with famous botanists of the time, are also reported. A handwritten copy is held at Padova's Botanical Garden Library, entitled Delli patrizij veneti dotti nella cognizione delle piante.

Notizie del pubblico giardino de' semplici di Padova compilate intorno l'anno 1771 (1840)

History of the Padova’s Botanical Garden, accompanied by notes suggested by the prefect Roberto de Visiani. It includes the series of prefects, with notes on their scientific and didactic activity, and a brief description of the Botanical Garden. There is also a list of the trees of the arboretum that surrounds the monumental walls of the old garden, planted largely by Marsili. A manuscript copy is also held at Padova's Botanical Garden Library.

Di Pier Antonio Michieli botanico insigne del secolo XVI e di una sua opera manoscritta: memoria (1845)

Text dedicated to the Michiel herbarium, once contained in the Marsili collection and now at the Marciana Library in Venice. The essay was published posthumously in a tribute for a wedding entitled "Per le auspicatissime nozze del nobile sig. conte Giambatista Giustinian cavaliere gerosolimitano colla nob. sig. contessa Elisabetta Michiel".