Established in 1928 as an Experimental Station for Medicinal Plants, it was a consortium among the Ministry of Economy, the Provincial Council of the Economy of Naples (later Chamber of Commerce), the University, the Province of Naples, and the Municipality. Its aim was to "carry out studies and experiments on the cultivation of medicinal plants to intensify their production and promote the use of their products in the Country and in the colonies."
After World War II, the institution was under the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and during this period, there was a significant recovery of scientific activities. Towards the end of the 1950s, due to economic difficulties caused by the progressive decrease in funding, the Experimental Station experienced a slow decline until it ceased to exist as such in the 1970s and became an integral part of the Botanical Garden (slightly modifying its name).
Subsequently, abandoned land in this area was recovered for cultivation, new species were introduced, and various plants previously distributed in other areas of the Garden were grouped together.
Currently, the Experimental Section of Medicinal Plants houses ethnobotanical plant collections. It is divided into three sectors: the exhibition area, with various collections, the experimental fields, and the orchard. In addition, two greenhouses, one warm-humid and the other warm-dry, are attached to the exhibition area.
Sistema Museale di Ateneo