The garden's history reaches back to 1588 when the university began to grew herbal plants for medicinal purposes.The collection quickly grew to some 900 species in the 18th century and in 1856 the gardens moved to the current location. in the 1960s the garden's area was doubled.

Its central collection is arranged in systematic order within brick-bordered, rectangular flower beds, along with old specimens of exotic and local plants. A farm area grows fruit, olive trees and vines of the main Chianti grapes. The garden also contains three greenhouses enclosing a total of about 500 m², namely, a tropical greenhouse, tepidarium that houses exotic species in winter as well as a succulent collection (120 m²) organized by country of origin, and an orangerie containing carnivorous plants and the principal citrus varieties grown in Europe.

Species endemic to the garden's undeveloped areas include Alyssum bertolonii, Armeria denticulata, Centaurea aplolepa subsp. Carueliana, Euphorbia nicaensis, Stachys recta ssp. serpentinii, and Thymus acicularis var. Ophioliticus.