L’Botanical Garden University of Messina “Pietro Castelli” has joined the European Cultural Route of Historic Pharmacies and Medicinal Gardensobtaining the prestigious cultural certification of the Council of Europe. The recognition, in synergy with the European Association “Aromas Itinerarium Salutis”, was awarded according to the certification criteria established in resolution Cm/Res (2023) of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe; a decision confirmed by the Governing Board of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes (Epa) through the written procedure of 27 June 2024.
The project is followed by Rose Maria Picone, Unime teacher director of the structure with colleagues Philip Grasso, Alessandro Crisafulli And Antonio Tavilla; Giuseppe Pandolfo of the national coordination of the project; Simona Tardi and Maria Luisa Vazquez of the University of Valencia; the members of the “Patto di Rete” of the Niceto Valley.
The European Cultural Route
The European Itinerary of Historic Pharmacies and Medicinal Gardens is a unique route that connects emblematic places such as monastic pharmacies, ancient hospital and lay pharmacies, historic libraries and botanical and medicinal gardens. In these places, the transmission of knowledge and traditional practices related to the therapeutic, hygienic, cosmetic, ritual, artistic and culinary use of medicinal plants has fostered intercultural and interreligious dialogue for centuries. SIt is a living natural and cultural heritage that celebrates Europe’s common roots and promotes intercultural dialogue, cultural identity, social cohesion and sustainable human development..
The Botanical Garden of Messina is one of the four medicinal gardens in Italy, together with the Citrus Garden of Pescia (in the province of Pistoia), the Garden of Minerva in Salerno and the Cloister of the Benedictine monastery of Santa Cecilia in Rome. The list of historical Italian pharmacies is much more numerous and also includes the sixteenth-century pharmacy of Roccavaldina in the province of Messina.