Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra
by Pablo Lopez
Title
Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra
Artist
Pablo Lopez
Medium
Photograph - Digital Image
Description
The Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra (Jardim Botanico da Universidade de Coimbra or simply Jardim Botanico) was founded in 1772 by Sebastiao Jose de Carvalho e Melo (the Marquis of Pombal). The location for the Hortus Botanicus—part of the farm of S. Bento's College in the Ursulinas Valley—was chosen by the vice-chancellor of the University of Coimbra (Francisco de Lemos). Domingos Vandelli was the first supervisor for the orientation of the garden, followed in 1791 by Felix Avelar Brotero, professor of Botany and Agriculture.
The botanist Luis Wittnich Carrisso, from the year he became a full professor, from 1918 until the date of his death in 1937, enriched the Garden with new plants, namely with exotic African plants, most of them originating in Angola. He developed relations with similar gardens, promoting exchanges of seeds and plants, reinforcing the offer in the publication of Index Seminum, which, at the time, was considered one of the six best in the world, given its variety and scientific rigor. He restored the greenhouses and modernized their heating, where he started to grow a greater number of exotic plants, including the much appreciated Victoria amazonica. He introduced important changes in the organization of the Garden, so that it could lend itself to perform its functions: to educate the public from the scientific, floricultural and landscape points of view; to support the teaching of Botany, in the preparation of students in the fields of taxonomy (vascular plants, non-vascular plants), anatomy, physiology, ecology and pharmacology; and have facilities where researchers can keep the materials necessary for their research activities. He made more space available to the public, planted a large number of trees, properly identified and labeled with plaques, with their respective scientific and common names, as well as the geographic distribution of the species. He also made space available for the installation of nurseries and founded the Escola das Monocotiledoneas.
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August 24th, 2021
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