The Minerva Garden | Salerno, Italy

Giardino della Minerva

The Giardino della Minerva, located in the heart of Salerno, is considered the first European botanical garden created with a didactic purpose, specifically for the study of medicinal plants. Established in the 14th century by Matteo Silvatico, physician and teacher at the Scuola Medica Salernitana, the garden served as a practical space where students learned to recognize and use herbs according to the principles of ancient medicine. The garden is deeply rooted in the Hippocratic theory of the four humours—blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile—which were believed to govern both physical and mental health. In line with this theory, the plants cultivated in the Giardino della Minerva were selected and arranged according to their qualities (hot, cold, dry, moist) and their ability to restore balance among the humours. The garden is still organized following this logic, allowing visitors to experience a layout that reflects medieval medical knowledge. Through this structure, the garden not only preserves a rich botanical heritage but also offers insight into how ancient medicine interpreted health and disease in harmony with the natural world.