Commissioned by Prince-Bishop Johann Konrad von Gemmingen and directed by Nuremberg apothecary Basilius Besler, the Hortus Eystettensis (1613) immortalized the spectacular gardens of Willibaldsburg Castle in 367 hand-colored plates. Spanning 90 plant families and 340 genera across three volumes, it was a landmark in botanical illustration — later praised by Carl Linnaeus as an "incomparable work" — and remains so rare that original copies fetch over $1,000,000 at auction.
This facsimile, based on the University Library of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt's copy, reproduces these stunning illustrations alongside detailed descriptions of each plant's botanical, pharmaceutical, and symbolic significance, plus essays placing the garden and book in their historical context — bringing Besler's vision to a wider audience for the first time.
