MUSEO ORTO BOTANICO DI BRERA

TheBrera Botanical Garden is a romantic oasis of green in the centre of Milan, located in the complex of the famous Brera Palace. As a garden it has a secular history: since the 14th century was a place of meditation and cultivation for the humiliated fathers of Brera and, since 16th century, for the Jesuits.

In 1774-1775, was established as Brera Botanical Garden at the behest of the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, thus initiating the scientific function and of advanced training which today turned two and a half centuries of history!

In 1935 was annexed to theUniversity of Milan, which still runs it today and has made it a recognised museum with over 290,000 admissions every year. From 2023, also associated the’Herbarium Universitatis Mediolanensis, which has a rich heritage of historical herbaria, botanical tables, xylotheques...

TheBrera Botanical Garden reveals to the visitor its character of historic garden, with the peculiar 18th-century layout resurfaced thanks to the conservative restoration concluded in 2001 and defined by a linear system of dense flowerbeds long and narrow, two striking elliptical tanks and a arboretum, redeveloped in the 2018-2019.

In the flowerbeds there are numerous medicinal species, today as in the past; others are dedicated to topics of pre-eminent interest to man (food, textile, dyeing plants) or to particular environments (e.g. Mediterranean plants, of arid or humid environment, of undergrowth) whose placement is due to the respect of the microclimate of the different areas of the garden.

There is no shortage of rare species or to be kept for the protection of biodiversity, in particular of indigenous Lombardy. Prominent among the large trees are the patriarchs, two Ginkgo biloba more than two and a half centuries of life, garden symbol, and the majestic Caucasian walnut, recently recognised as monumental trees.

TheBotanical Garden is a open-air living museum, which offers the public a face in continuous becoming and a rich programme of educational activities and events.