Editing Botanical garden (section)

==== Origins in the Italian Renaissance ====

The botanical gardens of [[Southern Europe]] were associated with university faculties of medicine and were founded in [[Italy]] at [[Orto botanico di Pisa]] (1544), [[Orto botanico di Padova]] (1545), [[Orto Botanico di Firenze]] (1545), [[Orto Botanico dell'Università di Pavia]] (1558) and [[Orto Botanico dell'Università di Bologna]] (1568).<ref group="nb">Precisely dating the foundation of botanical gardens is often difficult because government decrees may be issued some time before land is acquired and planting begins, or existing gardens may be relocated to new sites, or previously existing gardens may be taken over and converted.</ref> Here the physicians (known in English as [[Apothecary|apothecaries]]) delivered lectures on the Mediterranean "simples" or "[[officinal]]s" that were being cultivated in the grounds. Student education was no doubt stimulated by the relatively recent advent of printing and the publication of the first herbals.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hill|1915|pp=190–197}}</ref>