Daniele Barbaro and the Foundation of the Botanical Garden for the University of Padua

When in the Renaissance the Venetian authorities decided to establish the Botanical Garden at the University of Padua in order to carry out experimental studies directly on plants, they entrusted Daniele Barbaro with the role of administrative supervisor. This essay, by comparing the Garden as built with documentary information and historical records, advances the hypothesis of a role not exclusively focused on economic aspects but also on considerations of design. Although information is scarce, the author reasonably speculates that Daniele Barbaro, probably assisted by other scholars and botanical experts, may have conceived the Hortus Sphaericus of Padua, an original design that was never completed.