The Hortus Messanensis of Pietro Castelli. Science, Nature, and Landscape Architecture in 17Th Century Messina
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6 THE HORTUS MESSANENSIS OF PIETRO CASTELLI. SCIENCE, NATURE, AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE IN 17TH CENTURY MESSINA Erik Neil In 1638 the Roman physician and naturalist Pietro the chemistry lab, and the publication have been Castelli founded an important botanical garden adja- largely overlooked in the burgeoning literature on cent to the city walls of Messina. The creation of this botanical gardens, museums, and collecting in Italy garden marked a critical moment in the history of and Sicily4. This article offers an array of new mate- gardens and landscape architecture in Sicily and rial on Castelli’s career and the Hortus Messanensis, reflected the spread of new attitudes and ideologies including period accounts, letters, and contempo- about nature in Italy. Castelli published a descrip- rary images. Together these sources allow for a tion of the garden, Hortus Messanensis, in Messina in deeper understanding of the Hortus than has been 1640, detailing his reasoning on the purpose and possible up to now. The creation of the garden and value of a botanical garden for the city1. its attendant spaces was the result of the develop- The garden of simples was specifically intended to ment of new concepts of nature, landscape, and serve the needs of the medical faculty of the landscape architecture. University of Messina in accordance with contempo- Many of the characteristics of the creation and func- rary scientific practice, but its significance went well tioning of the Hortus resemble those of contempo- beyond curricular revision. The Hortus and its rary botanical gardens in Italy and Europe, however accompanying museum and chemistry laboratory a few aspects may be considered unique. The identi- also placed Messina and Castelli within the republic fication of both the singular and the common fea- of letters in the natural sciences, still centered in tures gives a clearer definition of the meaning of this Rome, that extended to all quarters of Europe and designed landscape. Paradoxically the Hortus even the New World. It was a tangible sign of a Messanensis reaffirms Messina’s participation in pan- vibrant scientific culture in Messina in the 17th cen- European culture and simultaneously marks its dif- tury. The construction of such a highly visible gar- ference. den also complemented the major urban develop- ment in Messina in the first half of the 17th century, Pietro Castelli from Rome to Messina the ambitious redesign of the waterfront. The life of Roman by birth, Pietro Castelli [fig. 1] studied med- the garden was short, less than forty years; in 1674 icine at the Sapienza under Andrea Cesalpino, Spanish soldiers under Viceroy Francisco Bazan de Giovanni Marsilio Cagnati, and Andrea Bacci5. Benavides, Conte di Sanisteban, let their horses Cesalpino, who spent decades in Pisa as the prefect graze there while quelling the Revolt of Messina. of the Orto Botanico and a professor of simples at the Despite that brief lifespan, the Hortus Messanensis university before coming to Rome around 1590, was solidified a tradition of public and private botanical perhaps the most influential of these mentors. gardens in Sicily culminating with the Orto Botanico He is remembered for his publications on botany of Palermo in 1789. Castelli also inspired a genera- and mineralogy as well as important early work on tion of scholars and physicians who continued vari- the circulatory system6. Another critical figure for ous aspects of his research, including Paolo Sylvio Castelli was his brother-in-law the Dutch pharmacist Boccone, Domenico Bottone, Francesco Cupani, Enrico Corvino. Corvino’s bottega was a favorite Niccolò Gervasi, and Agostino Scilla2. meeting place for naturalists in Rome7. Castelli has received some scholarly attention by his- Through him Castelli may have gained access to torians of science, most notably in the work of men like Federico Cesi, the founder of the Academy Corrado Dollo3. However, the garden, the museum, of the Lincei, and Cassiano dal Pozzo, the most 7 The date, duration, and precise nature of Castelli’s activities in Padua are all unclear. But considering his interests and experiences he likely had extensive contact with the famous botanical gardens. As will be discussed below, the Orto of Padua was one of the models that Castelli followed when creating the Hortus Messanensis. By 1625-26 Castelli was also under the nominal pro- tection of Cardinal Francesco Barberini. Through Cardinal Barberini, Castelli was named a university professor12. He became a lettore of Simples. This field combined aspects of botany and chemistry. One con- temporary author described it: «Simpling is an art which teacheth the knowledge of all Druggs and Physicall Ingredients, but especially of Plants, their Divisions, Definitions, Differences, Descriptions, Places, Names, Times, Vertues, Uses, Temperatures, & Signatures»13. It was a basic part of medical training and Castelli, as a student of Cesalpino, would have been considered well prepared in the field. Only in 1629, after the death of Giovanni Faber, he did assume the post of publico Semplicista of the Orti Vaticani14. However a bitter letter written several years later by Castelli to Dal Pozzo suggests that he was dissatis- Fig. 1. Pietro Castelli (Courtesy National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland). fied with his position. «[E]ssendo io in Roma lettor de Semplici, ero senza Horto, hora ho l’horto e non prominent figure in the intellectual-aristocratic cul- la lettura de semplici, leggendo io nello studio la ture of mid-17th century Rome8. Prattica e l’Anotomia...»15. It can be inferred from Although there is some disagreement about the pre- the letter that Castelli was passed over for a pre- cise sequence of events, after Castelli received his ferred post that instead went to Tobia Aldini. This diploma in 1594, he lectured outside the university may help explain why he left Rome and also may and practiced medicine. At an undetermined shed some light on an odd aspect of Castelli’s pub- moment Castelli became the personal physician of lishing career. A well-known description of the Lelio Biscia (1573-1638). Biscia was a minor patron of Farnese gardens on the Palatine Hill, the Exactissima the arts and played an important role in the urban descriptio rariorum quarundam plantarum, que continen- planning of Rome during the pontificate of Paul V. tur Rome in Horto Farnesiano gives Aldini as an He was appointed cardinal by Urban VIII9. author [fig. 2]. However it has long been suggested He commissioned Castelli to write a description of that Pietro Castelli had a significant role in the pub- the eruption of Vesuvius, Incendio Del Monte Vesuvio lication and was perhaps the actual author16. The (Rome 1632), based upon others’ first-hand accounts reasons or motivations for such an arrangement and earlier published works10. Biscia also arranged a remain unclear. Aldini had contributed a letter to place for the physician at the University of Padua, a Castelli’s Discorso della duratione delli medicamenti privilege Castelli was pleased to recall: «poi per (Rome 1621) suggesting a previous professional rela- accrescermi gloria & honore havermi procurato con tionship if not friendship. Additionally one contem- l’Ecc. Alvigi Contarini Oratore della Serenissima porary account suggests that Cardinal Biscia was Republica di Venetia appresso la santità di N. S. increasingly out of favor with the Barberini by the Papa Urbano VIII un luogo nel fioritissimo studio di 1630s17. If Castelli felt the environment in Rome was Padova con amplo stipendio…»11. not conducive to his professional advancement he Lexicon - n. 1/2005 8 Fig. 2. Exactissima descriptio..., Rome 1625 (Courtesy National Fig. 3. Hortus Messanensis titlepage (Courtesy National Library Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland). of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland). might have been more willing to accept a lucrative worthwhile. The University itself was in some tur- post in Messina, a place he later described as «questo moil over its governance in these years as the munic- estremo d’italia, e d’Europa»18. Furthermore he may ipal authorities and Jesuits fought for control19. have received some encouragement from Cassiano Ultimately the Senate would assert its authority, but who was apparently very curious about Mt. Etna. not until 1641, after the creation of the garden. This Messina did offer new challenges, an excellent situation may have both delayed the completion of salary, and the freedom to pursue his interests. the garden and influenced its particular design. When approached he accepted an offer from the A wealth of information on the garden comes from Senate of Messina to take a post on the faculty of Castelli’s description and index published as Hortus medicine. Messanensis in 1640. The book opens with two etched illustrations [figs. 3-4]. In the first, a figure of Flora Hortus Messanensis holding a scroll with the author’s name and the title Considering Castelli’s experience in Rome and is showered with petals by a quartet of putti, two of Padua and his expertise with simples it follows logi- them are holding cornucopias half-full with flowers. cally that he immediately pushed for the creation of The second illustration is the stemma of Cardinal a botanical garden in Messina. In the Spring of 1638, Francesco Barberini, followed by the title page. The after several appeals to the Senate, his desire found text is then divided into four distinct sections: the support. The delay in the creation was the result of dedication, a note to gentle readers, a note to his fel- several factors but ultimately it was a matter of con- low scientists (in Latin), and finally the index of vincing the Senators that such an appropriation was plants (also in Latin) followed by fifteen separate 9 vention with Cardinal Barberini and Monsignor (Tiberio?) Cenci. «Hora prego V.S. Ill[ustrissi]ma proponere à S[ua] E[ccellen]za et à Mons.