Herbaria Antiqua

At this time, the study of Botany is enhanced by the new species of plants brought to Europe by the great exploration journeys

The oldest dried herbaria are often presented in the form of bound volumes, with specimen directly attached on the pages with glue, or fixed with little stripes of paper or fabric.

As time goes by the botanists begin to prefere herbaria with loose sheets, to freely order and increase the collection, as we can observe in the herbarium of Giacomo Zanoni

Giacomo Zanoni (1615-1682), born in Montecchio (RE), has been the Director for more than 40 years of the Botanic Garden of Bologna. He is the author of an important book: “Istoria botanica” and he is also the author of a plant collection perfectly conserved. It has 184 plants: they are finely arranged, fixed directly on paper sheets with elegant labels

Born in Reggio Emilia in 1763, Filippo Re set his mind to the study of plant physiology, testing the plant nutrition. Through his studies he helped the rebirth of agriculture and the land reform in Reggio Emilia. He taught Botanic and Agronomy at Reggio Emilia high school and than, for Napoleon's will, he became Professor of Agriculture at Bologna University. Here he was also the Rector from 1805 to 1806. Later he had the chair of Agricultural Botany at Modena University and was the Director of Modena Botanical Garden from 1814 to 1817. He died in Reggio Emilia in 1817 during a typhus fever epidemic.

With the increasing number of known plants, the polynomial became increasingly complex and difficoult to use.

Filippo Re's main interest of was not, however, related to botany, but to agriculture. He experimentally studied the improvement of agricultural practices, publishing numerous treaties.

Filippo Re works treated multiple topics, from plant diseases to the use of various types of manure, from the alfalfa crop to spelled, melon, strawberry, cotton, etc. These include: "Saggio sulla coltivazione e su gli usi del pomo di terra e specialmente come valga a migliorare i terreni", "L'ortolano dirozzato", "Il giardiniere avviato all'esercizio della sua professione", "Elementi di agricoltura"

His interest for Agriculture is testified by the presence in his herbarium of many examples of cultivated plants, including numerous varieties of wheat and other cereals.