The Giardino dei Semplici is the botanical garden of the University of Florence and the third oldest in the world, laid out in 1545 for Cosimo I de' Medici to grow medicinal plants -- the simples that gave it its name. Tucked behind the San Marco quarter, it preserves its original geometric beds alongside greenhouses of orchids, tropical species, and citrus.
Towering trees planted over the centuries, including a vast cork oak and a yew dating from the garden's earliest decades, give it a serene, scholarly atmosphere. It is a peaceful green retreat a few minutes from the crowds at the Accademia, popular with students and anyone seeking shade and quiet on a hot afternoon.