University of Ferrara Botanic Garden

The University of Ferrara Botanic Garden is a living collection of plants from around the world, organized into different sections for study and display. The site includes outdoor planting areas with hundreds of species and several greenhouses where warm-climate plants are grown and rotated seasonally into the open gardens.

The garden was created in 1771 as a place for the university to teach and study plants scientifically. It moved to different locations over the centuries before finding a permanent home on the grounds of the Turkish Baths Palace in 1963.

The garden reflects the long tradition of botanical study in Ferrara, with collections that show how plants have been used and valued by people over time. Walking through the sections, you notice how the layout tells the story of human relationships with the natural world.

Visit on warmer days to see the tropical plants that are moved outside from the greenhouses during those seasons. Wear comfortable walking shoes since you will spend time moving through different garden sections spread across the grounds.

A dedicated section created in 2004 protects rare plant species that are native to the surrounding region and difficult to find elsewhere. This conservation area demonstrates how the garden works to safeguard local plants for the future.