That botanical balcony at the Giardino della Minerva, high above Salerno

In the Middle Ages, Salerno was a city of terraced vegetable gardens and flourishing gardens. From Arechi Castle, winding down towards the sea, that past has been brought back to life thanks to the opening of the Giardino della Minerva. You can reach this hanging park by lift, but perhaps it is more fitting to ‘earn’ it on foot by climbing winding staircases, passing by 18th-century palaces. Arranged across various terraces, what was once the Silvatico family’s botanical garden – Matteo had established a ‘Garden of Simples’ there as early as 1300, considered the forerunner of botanical gardens throughout Europe – this marvellous and dizzying green space offers extraordinary views over Salerno, lying in line with the Villa Comunale. Its Hippocratic plane tree, brought over from Greece; the trompe l’oeil fresco depicting mermaids; the flat-topped tiles; the ancient washhouse carved into the rock, the fountain adorned with an eight-pointed star, the wooden pergolas, and the open-air channels laid out to carry water are sure to captivate you even before you see the other plants. After visiting Palazzo Capasso with its exhibition of images and botanical illustrations, and enjoying a herbal tea on the balconies, one can indulge in identifying the various species brought to bloom by the curator, Luciano Mauro, with filial devotion, taking advantage of the favourable microclimate and the absence of adverse winds. These plants, moreover, formed the basis of the success of the Salerno school of medicine, where women played a decisive role in the study and practice of medicine.