Jardim Botanico de Coimbra-Portugal
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h_raky
N 40° 12.395 W 008° 25.270
29T E 549259 N 4450846
Visit a botanical garden is like traveling the globe without leaving town. The collections of plants that fill every space transport us to different latitudes and regions of the world, transforming the Garden into a live museum
Waymark Code: WMA9FN
Location: Coimbra, Portugal
Date Posted: 12/08/2010
Views: 18
The Botanical Gardens, located in the heart of the city of Coimbra since 1772 at the initiative of the Marquis of Pombal, stretches over 13 ha of land that were mostly donated by the Benedictines.
The botanical gardens in Europe emerge as a result of European expansion from the fifteenth century. Contact with exotic plants and animals aroused interest in its study. An example was the Portuguese Garcia da Orta in séc.XVI who traveled to India and has studied the therapeutic properties of plants, publishing two important tests.
The creation of a seed bank and publication of the Index Seminum book (seeds) in 1868, today updated annually, included exotic varieties and Portuguese very diverse. This enabled us to safeguard species that are endangered in their natural habitat. The garden has thus gained new functions in the preservation of nature.
In educational terms, the Botanic Garden of Coimbra promotes environmental education and culture, raising the awareness of issues related to environmental issues and
civic behavior.
The Garden is also a place of tranquility, lots of retreats that invite us just a stroll away.
The eighteenth century is marked by a revolution of minds and great advances in science, particularly in the field of medicine. Thus, the Botanical Garden of Coimbra was created in order to complement the study of natural history and medicine. We highlight in this period, the naturalist and botanist Avelar Brotero with several scientific publications, including the first Flora Lusitana (1804). This Portuguese researcher initiated the first practical school of Botany.
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