Hortus eystettensis basilius besler biography

1613 book describing garden of Bishop of Eichstatt

Hortus Eystettensis (Garden of Eichstätt) is the short title of a book produced by Basilius Besler, a Nurembergapothecary and botanist, in 1613 describing the plants of the garden of the Prince-Bishop of Eichstätt in Bavaria.

The Renaissance style garden was located at the bishop's palace at the Willibaldsburg and was created over eight terraces overlooking the city of Eichstätt.

Hortus eystettensis basilius besler biography

It was the first botanical garden in Germany, and the only one outside of Italy. The bishop had brought plants from all over the world for his garden, and it was thought that it contained examples of all of the shrubs and flowering plants known to horticulturalists at the time.

The Bishop, Johann Konrad von Gemmingen (1561-1612), commissioned Besler, who was in charge of the garden, to produce the work in 1611, to record his achievements for posterity.

Besler worked on the project for sixteen years, although the bishop died