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The Old Herbarium was inspired by the old print "Practical botanical history, i.e. plants for medical use" Giambattista Morandi , an Italian botanist and physician, published in 1744.
The book is the first catalog of medicinal plants that contains both their descriptions and illustrations . Illustrations Morandi's plants are made in the etching technique and are very accurate. AT considered among the best ever made . The copy we have has hand-painted illustrations, which was rare.
" "Historia Botanica Practica" was very well received by critics and enjoyed great popularity. The book was translated into many languages and was used by medical and pharmacy students throughout Europe. Morandi's work is still a valuable source of information about medicinal plants and is considered one of the most important botanical works of the 18th century.
We couldn't let this get out of the ordinary the testimony of the knowledge and skills of botanists and doctors from the 18th century was forgotten.
We have one of probably two hand-painted copies that have survived in their entirety to this day. The second can be found in the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid .