{"product_id":"basilius-besler-the-garden-at-eichstatt-florilegum-garden-at-eichstatt-book-of-plants","title":"Basilius Besler. The Garden at Eichstätt","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhen Prince-Bishop Johann Konrad von Gemmingen (1593\/95-1612) undertook a radical renovation of the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWillibaldsburg Castle\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, overlooking the Altmühl River in Eichstätt (Bavaria), he also created \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ea magnificent palace garden\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e around it. To preserve the garden for future generations—and to provide a permanent catalog of its contents that collected plants from the four seasons and presented them in that order—he commissioned the garden director, the Nuremberg apothecary \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBasilius Besler\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (1561-1629), and a team of engravers to immortalize its treasures in a collection of printed plates.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe result was the Hortus Eystettensis, published in Nuremberg in 1613. With its \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e367 hand-colored plates and detailed descriptions\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, it was a work of meticulous execution and spectacular diversity, notably expensive for its time. Since the garden contained plants imported from exotic places, the three volumes displayed a remarkable variety, with \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ea total of 90 families and 340 genera\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Due to the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003edecorative and stylized execution of these illustrations\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, where plants begin to be seen in aesthetic terms rather than merely practical or medicinal ones, the book is considered a milestone in the art of botanical illustration. Although it was published before the appearance of standardized classification systems, Carl Linnaeus himself later described it as an “incomparable work.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBesler’s catalog survived the gardens, which were \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003edestroyed in 1634 by invading Swedish troops\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e during the Thirty Years’ War. However, a long remodeling project at the historic site culminated in the opening of the modern Bastionsgarten in 1998, which contains many of the plants shown in the Hortus Eystettensis.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis facsimile edition features \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ehigh-quality reproductions\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e of these stunning illustrations, based on the copy of the Hortus Eystettensis from the library of the University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, and is accompanied by detailed descriptions of the botanical, pharmaceutical, and symbolic significance of each plant and an \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eappendix with essays\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e that place the garden and the book in their historical contexts.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis edition presents \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ea valuable work of botanical literature\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e that, on the rare occasions an original copy appears on the market, can reach prices of over a million dollars at auction. In line with Besler’s original intention, this facsimile makes the garden accessible to a wider audience and preserves it for posterity.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Taschen","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57131200545112,"sku":"LIB-BA-TA-896","price":200.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0925\/8464\/0856\/files\/BESLER_GARDEN_AT_EICHSTAETT_CL_INT_SLIPCASE002_03126.jpg?v=1776551892","url":"https:\/\/eu.plasticbooks.com\/en\/products\/basilius-besler-the-garden-at-eichstatt-florilegum-garden-at-eichstatt-book-of-plants","provider":"Plastic Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}