Jardim Botânico de Coimbra: contraponto entre a Arte e a ... - artez
Jardim Botânico de Coimbra: contraponto entre a Arte e a ... - artez
Jardim Botânico de Coimbra: contraponto entre a Arte e a ... - artez
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
<strong>Jardim</strong> <strong>entre</strong>tanto concebida <strong>de</strong>ixa transparecer<br />
um certo alheamento relativamente<br />
ao seu <strong>de</strong>snivelado terreno <strong>de</strong> implantação,<br />
o que se po<strong>de</strong>ria explicar pelo facto <strong>de</strong><br />
Els<strong>de</strong>n não ter acompanhado o reitor e os<br />
professores na visita ao local, por se encontrar<br />
nessa altura ainda em Lisboa, “impossibilitado<br />
com um acci<strong>de</strong>nte <strong>de</strong> gota” 8 .<br />
Por outro lado, não temos a sua assinatura<br />
no projecto <strong>de</strong>positado na referida biblioteca,<br />
presumivelmente o enviado a Pombal,<br />
nem tão pouco a avaliação que <strong>de</strong>le o ministro<br />
fez refere Els<strong>de</strong>n como autor, sendo<br />
apenas vagamente mencionada “a Planta,<br />
que esses Professores <strong>de</strong>linearam”, esclarecendo-se,<br />
mais adiante, que “os ditos professores<br />
saõ italianos” 9 . A própria feição<br />
barroca da molduração do plano afasta-se<br />
do traço neoclássico que caracteriza os edifícios<br />
projectados por Els<strong>de</strong>n para a Universida<strong>de</strong><br />
e, recor<strong>de</strong>-se ainda, o carácter paduano<br />
da planta não po<strong>de</strong>ria resultar da experiência<br />
<strong>de</strong> um engenheiro inglês. Além disso,<br />
no relatório que Els<strong>de</strong>n dirige a Sebastião<br />
José <strong>de</strong> Carvalho e Melo, dando-lhe conhecimento<br />
dos trabalhos que, no âmbito das<br />
obras da Universida<strong>de</strong>, executou precisamente<br />
<strong>entre</strong> Julho e Setembro <strong>de</strong> 1773, não<br />
faz qualquer referência ao traçado da planta<br />
para o <strong>Jardim</strong>.<br />
Certo é o facto <strong>de</strong> uma primeira proposta<br />
não ter sido aprovada. Num ofício <strong>de</strong> 5 <strong>de</strong><br />
Outubro <strong>de</strong> 1773, o estadista rejeita veementemente<br />
o “dilatado espaço”, talhado<br />
“pelas medidas da (…) Fantasia”, o qual<br />
“absorberia os meyos pecuniarios da Universida<strong>de</strong><br />
antes <strong>de</strong> concluir-se”. Frisando<br />
que “as couzas naõ saõ boas, por que saõ<br />
muito custozas, e Magnificas; mas sim, e taõ<br />
somente, porque saõ proprias, e a<strong>de</strong>quadas<br />
para o uso, que <strong>de</strong>llas se <strong>de</strong>ve fazer”, or<strong>de</strong>nava<br />
que se <strong>de</strong>lineasse outro plano, “reduzido<br />
somente ao numero <strong>de</strong> Ervas Medicinaes,<br />
que saõ indispensaveis para os exercicios<br />
Botanicos, e necessarios para se darem<br />
aos Estudantes as noçoens precizas para<br />
que naõ ignorem esta parte da Medicina;<br />
nature on the plan that is in the library<br />
(presumably the one sent to Pombal), nor<br />
does the Marquis’ assessment of it make<br />
any mention of Els<strong>de</strong>n as author. Instead it<br />
vaguely mentions “the plan that those professors<br />
drew up”, clarifying later on that “the<br />
aforementioned professors are Italian” 9 . The<br />
Baroque flavour of the ground plan is also<br />
quite different from the neoclassical style<br />
of the buildings <strong>de</strong>signed by Els<strong>de</strong>n for the<br />
University; and of course, the Paduan influence<br />
could not have resulted from the experience<br />
of an English engineer. Moreover, the<br />
report that Els<strong>de</strong>n addressed to Sebastião<br />
José <strong>de</strong> Carvalho e Melo informing him of<br />
the works that he had un<strong>de</strong>rtaken at the<br />
University between July and September<br />
1773 ma<strong>de</strong> no mention of the plans for the<br />
Gar<strong>de</strong>n.<br />
What is clear, however, is that the first proposal<br />
was not approved. In an official letter<br />
dated 5th October 1773, the Marquis vehemently<br />
rejected the “extensive space”,<br />
shaped “with fantastic dimensions”, which<br />
“would absorb the pecuniary resources of<br />
the University before it is finished”. Adding<br />
that “things are not good simply because<br />
they are very costly and magnificent, but<br />
rather, and only, because they are appropriate<br />
and suitable for the use that is to be<br />
ma<strong>de</strong> of them”, he or<strong>de</strong>red another plan to<br />
be drawn up, “reduced only to the number<br />
of medicinal herbs that are indispensable<br />
for botany exercises, and necessary to<br />
give the stu<strong>de</strong>nts precise notions so that<br />
they are not ignorant of that part of Medicine;<br />
(…) leaving for another time all that<br />
is botanical luxury, at present spreading all<br />
over Europe”.<br />
To dispel any doubts, he explained that<br />
the new <strong>de</strong>sign should be no bigger and<br />
no more sumptuous than Chelsea Gar<strong>de</strong>n,<br />
which he would certainly have known,<br />
having been stationed in London on diplomatic<br />
duty between 1739 and 1743. Finally,<br />
he advised that “a budget be calculated that<br />
is appropriate for a boys’ Study Gar<strong>de</strong>n,<br />
37