Mise en Forme. Ediz. inglese.

Thus far, we have reconstructed the nexus between form and function and the social role of the botanical garden in the transition from the Middle Ages to the modern era with contemporary guidelines culminating in the document “Action Plan for Botanic Gardens in the European Union” (2000). As mentioned, at the turn of the century the transformation of the concept of the botanical garden was complete and widely accepted. Extensive analysis of this document points out the new roles of botanical gardens in terms of their cultural value on different levels above and beyond their traditional scientific functions. Aside from the conservation of plant and flower collections, in many cases the need has emerged to recover the architectural design of botanical gardens, their spatial configurations and the buildings and structures that have enriched them and modified their palimpsest over time. The need has also arisen to redefine their relationships with their urban contexts and networks of historic and naturalistic itineraries and to completely or partially transform certain parts to adapt them to new needs. It might be affirmed that the botanical garden has developed into a potential motor for urban transformation with respect to their original role that tended towards autonomy and introspection.