Alchemical Hands in the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili

Why It Matters for the Hypnerotomachia

The HP describes topiary — ornamental clipping of trees into geometric and figurative shapes — in its garden passages. These descriptions place the HP at the origin of Renaissance garden discourse, where shaping nature into art is a central concern.

Why It Matters in Scholarship

The topiary passages illustrate the HP's interest in the boundary between natural and artificial form. Leslie (1998) reads them within the broader context of Renaissance debates about the garden as a site where art and nature negotiate their relationship.

Key Passages / Evidence

• ... botany of Telosia where we observe the merit of Grazia Gobbi’s description of the Hypnerotomachian gardens as ‘heralding a new trend’ through the use of plants as architectural materials,... [O'Neill (Durham thesis)]
• ... pomario, five correspond to the arbusto and one to the horto, with some overlapping, considering that three compartments cannot be included in Estienne's system. Although boxwood is a native... [Untangling_the_knot_Garden_design_in_Francesco_Colonna_s_Hypnerotomachia_Poliphi]
• ... Pinus pinaster Ait. (Maritime pine) Picea abies L. (Common spruce) Note: This group includes mostly pines and a limited number of similar conifers. Table 2e. BUXETUM. Partition n. S Plant... [Untangling_the_knot_Garden_design_in_Francesco_Colonna_s_Hypnerotomachia_Poliphi]

Source Documents

O'Neill (Durham thesis); Priki 2009 (reception); Semler 2006 (Dallington); Untangling_the_knot_Garden_design_in_Francesco_Colonna_s_Hypnerotomachia_Poliphi; Ure 1952 (vocabulary notes); Walking_in_the_Boboli_Gardens_in_Florenc; Word_Image_1998_jan_vol_14_iss_1_2_Hunt_John_Dixon_Experiencing_gardens_in_the_H