This was the case in Versailles, where a complete and modern glass house was built that was able to maintain these beautiful exotic flowers and, later on plants and vegetables.įrom the Roman era to the plastic greenhouses of our days The use nowadays of greenhouses is so common in modern agriculture that it is difficult to believe that this is an archaic invention that comes from Roman times.įor example, in the recent sixteenth century, when tropical plants were brought to Europe where they couldn’t grow since they had a very different climate, it was necessary to implement the greenhouses to maintain a heat similar to that of the tropics, while at the same time allowing the passage of light. Throughout history and for many years, the versatility and usefulness of these buildings were noted, and this is how diverse cultures from different periods have adopted and perfected it to make the most of the numerous advantages in terms of agriculture. During very cold days and nights, they even lit fire around the outer walls to maintain the internal heat and, over time, the structure was made more sophisticated by placing a mica roof so that heat and light could enter the space. The greenhouse effect, known at that time as specularium, was then a simple walled roofless structure, which included flowers, vegetables and fruits to be cultivated. Plinius Secundus wrote that these constructions, known as specularium, consisted of beds mounted on wheels that moved towards the sun and then, on winter days, were sheltered under the cover of transparent mica stone plates. This is how two Roman agricultural writers, Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella and Gaius Plinius Secundus, referred to the “proto-greenhouses” erected for Emperor Tiberius in the vicinity of his palace Villa Jovis, on the island of Capri. There is data indicating that the first greenhouse was built in the time of the famous and powerful Roman emperor Tiberius, who was so fascinated by a specific kind of cucumber that had to be cultivated throughout the year, only so that he could enjoy it regularly.
From very remote times, the creation of these spaces changed the practices of agriculture forever, since the intention was the need to cultivate plants of warm climates in different seasons or harsher conditions. Have you ever wondered what the history of greenhouses is? At what point did these structures begin to be implemented as a protected growing system where adequate climate conditions are maintained constant to favour horticulture?Įven though the first news ever recorded about a greenhouse dates back to 1850 in the Netherlands, this is an inaccurate date, since there are records of much older constructions that were designed and built precisely to guarantee the growth and conservation of some fruits.
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