Basilius Besler (1561–1629) was a respected Nuremberg apothecary & botanist, best known for his monumental Hortus Eystettensis. He was curator of the garden of Johann Konrad von Gemmingen, prince bishop of Eichstätt in Bavaria. The bishop was an enthusiastic botanist who derived great pleasure from his garden, which rivaled Hortus Botanicus Leiden among early European botanical gardens outside Italy. The gardens surrounded the bishop's palace, Willibaldsburg, which was built on a hill overlooking the town. These gardens had been started in 1596 & designed by Besler's colleague, Joachim Camerarius the Younger (1534–1598), a physician & botanist.
Upon Camerarius' death in 1598, Besler had the remainder of Camerarius' plants moved to Eichstätt & carried on the work of planting An early florilegium is Hortus Eystettensis ("The Garden of Eichstätt") by Basilius Besler contains 367 engraved plates depicting more than 100 flowers growing in the gardens created in Bavaria by Prince-Bishop Johann Konrad von Gemmingen of Eichstätt (1561-1612).
In 1611, the Prince Bishop of Eichsttt in Germany knew he was dying, when he decided to record the exotic garden he'd created at his palace with plants from around the world. Eichstätt was the 1st major European botanical garden outside Italy In 1611, a visitor described the palace as being surrounded by terraced garden, “Each of the eight gardens contained flowers from a different country; they varied in the beds and flowers, especially in the beautiful roses, lilies, tulips." The bishop commissioned Besler to compile a codex of the plants growing in his garden, a task which Besler took 16 years to complete.
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
Basilius Besler (German botanist, 1561–1629) Hortus Eystettensis 1613
