We have all longed for a place in which we can relax, a place where we can stop thinking about work and our everyday problems. And sometimes it is not enough to look at a sunset, sit on a bench, read a book or listen to music. Sometimes all of this is needed, all at once, and experienced with all the senses.
Well, in Siena, this place truly exists: it’s found on the Via Mattioli, next to the Accademia dei Fisiocritici. This Botanic Garden is an institution which has been active since the 1500s. Originally it was located near the hospital of Santa Maria della Scala, and was called ‘Giardino dei semplici’ in reference to the medicinal and aromatic plants. With the passage of time it was realised that a larger site was necessary and in 1856, the Garden moved to where it is today.
Upon entering the Botanic Gardens, one is immediately struck by the heady scent of aromatic plants and by the colourful flowers and fruits. There are thousands of species to be admired and yet it seems impossible to believe that we are in the heart of the city centre. Here, the only sounds that can be heard are the buzzing of bees going about their work and our footsteps on the dry leaves fallen on the paths. At every step visitors find themselves surrounded by a different habitat; it is a powerful experience that involves all the senses, to the extent that one almost has the impression of being in the shoes of Indiana Jones as you step into the tropical greenhouse; to then put on those of a Samurai as you enter the Japanese reed bed. As you continue along the little paths, covered with moss and shaded by thick vegetation, the imagination runs away toward stories of goblins and magical creatures. Then the imagination flies away with the fairies and elves, only to be brought back to Earth, drawn by the colours and the beauty of nature in this magical place.
Also fascinating are the common names for the plants, which are indicated on the information boards nearby (which also list the scientific names in Latin, and their geographic origins):one comes across the albero dei rosary, a tree whose fruit has a hole which allows a little string to be passed through so they can be used as rosary beads; l’erba della strega (‘witch’s grass’), highly toxic if taken in large quantities; or even the ‘lunaria’, whose flat round fruits take on a silvery colour for which they are also known as coins of the Pope. It would however be difficult to explain why a fat plant such as the ‘echinocactus’ is also known as the mother-in-law’s cushion! Once past the wooded area, you come across the fine spectacle of a green valley; surprising as it is just a matter of footsteps from the city centre, and divided by the ancient city walls that connect Porta Tufi to Porta San Marco. Lowering one’s gaze a little, the view goes on, with ponds of water-lilies and an abundance of ferns, that could almost be inhabited by gnomes…
However, they are not the guardians here. Just like every place in which history and magic converge, it is said that a ghost haunts the paths of this Garden, first sighted in the 1930s. Whether day or night, it could be heard knocking on the walls, hard blows, like that of a huge hammer. One stormy night, a man saw a shadow fluttering in the air, without moving its feet. The story caused a great sensation and it was thanks to the Metaphysical Society of Siena that the ghost came to be identified; it was the ghost of Brother Giacomo dè Magagni of the Camaldoli community, who lived in the XVI century, and died by hanging for having had an affair with a nun. His story is linked to that of the Bottini, the historical Sienese aqueduct, and the secret passageways which connected the convents and monasteries.
A visit to the Botanic Gardens is an experience that goes beyond mere scientific interest. It is rather an all-encompassing experience that fires the imagination, engages the senses and allows us simply to appreciate the true beauty of Nature.
Translated by Claire Cocks